Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Therapeutic Gene Delivery and Transfection in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells using Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-targeted Gelatin Nanoparticles
08:35

Therapeutic Gene Delivery and Transfection in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells using Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-targeted Gelatin Nanoparticles

Published on: January 4, 2012

Gene therapy of cancer

A Bank1

  • 1Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA.

Medical Oncology (Northwood, London, England)
|September 1, 1995
PubMed

Insights

Gene therapy offers multiple strategies for cancer treatment, including sensitizing tumor cells, normalizing growth, and enhancing immune responses. Some gene therapy approaches are currently in clinical trials for cancer patients.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Cancer gene therapy is an emerging field with diverse therapeutic strategies.
  • Current approaches aim to modify cancer cells or the host immune system.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the various gene therapy strategies for cancer treatment.
  • To highlight the potential of gene therapy in clinical applications.

Main Methods:

  • Introduction of therapeutic genes into cancer cells to alter their sensitivity to drugs or normalize growth.
  • Engineering tumor cells to elicit a stronger immune response for cancer cell destruction.
  • Utilizing drug resistance genes in bone marrow stem cells to mitigate chemotherapy toxicity.

Main Results:

  • Gene introduction can sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy or normalize their proliferation.
  • Gene-modified tumor cells can stimulate an enhanced anti-tumor immune response.
  • Bone marrow gene therapy allows for higher chemotherapy doses, potentially improving tumor eradication.

Conclusions:

  • Gene therapy for cancer encompasses multiple innovative strategies.
  • Several gene therapy approaches are under investigation in ongoing clinical trials for cancer patients.

More Related Videos

Defining Gene Functions in Tumorigenesis by Ex vivo Ablation of Floxed Alleles in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor Cells09:37

Defining Gene Functions in Tumorigenesis by Ex vivo Ablation of Floxed Alleles in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor Cells

Published on: August 25, 2021

A Nonviral Approach to Generate Transient Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Using mRNA for Cancer Immunotherapy09:56

A Nonviral Approach to Generate Transient Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Using mRNA for Cancer Immunotherapy

Published on: February 21, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Gene Therapy00:59

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is a technique where a gene is inserted into a person’s cells to prevent or treat a serious disease. The added gene may be a healthy version of the gene that is mutated in the patient, or it could be a different gene that inactivates or compensates for the patient’s disease-causing gene. For example, in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to a mutation in the gene for the enzyme adenosine deaminase, a functioning version of the gene can be inserted. The...
Gene Therapy00:59

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is a technique where a gene is inserted into a person’s cells to prevent or treat a serious disease. The added gene may be a healthy version of the gene that is mutated in the patient, or it could be a different gene that inactivates or compensates for the patient’s disease-causing gene. For example, in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to a mutation in the gene for the enzyme adenosine deaminase, a functioning version of the gene can be inserted. The...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.