Teknikbron

Gene Therapy for cancer is soon becoming the mainstay of all research and treatment modalities, involving cancer and it metastasis. The study involves the whole saga of RNAi approaches, how drug resistance develops, and hematopoietic mode of gene transfer in leukemia, homologous recombination, ribosome technology, and antisense technology. It also involves tumor immunotherapy and methods of tumor suppression, which forms the backbone of cancer treatment. Researchers are mainly exploring methods of targeting healthy cells, populations of which can then be harvested in order to substitute the cancerous cells. The other option is to instate a therapy that eradicates the entire population of cancerous cells; recurrence is pretty high in this modality, and it is not very effective in most kinds of cancers, especially the highly metastatic ones.

Another form of gene therapy for cancer is improving and augmenting the patient’s immune response to both external and internal stimuli causing cancer. In this kind of treatment, the gene therapy is aimed at stimulating the body’s natural potential to defend itself against cancer cells. Another method under study is the process of inserting genes into cancer cells so as to make them sensitive to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or other modes of treatment. Healthy erythropoietic or blood-forming stem cells are harvested with a special gene, which makes them resistant to cancerous stimuli and also makes them immune from side effects of high doses of anticancer drugs; these potent cells are then injected the back into the patient. This form of treatment ensures that once the diseased cells are eradicated, a healthy generation can grow and survive. Another gene therapy modality for cancer is installing “suicide genes” into the cancer cells of the patient. A pro-drug, which is basically an inactive form of a drug is given, which in turn gets activated in the cancer cells which already contain the suicide genes. Some studies of gene therapy for cancer also target the inhibition of angiogenesis; which is prevention of development of new blood supply to the cancer cells. This cuts off the supply of ingredients, necessary for the cancer cells to survive, thereby diminishing their population. Another fast developing mode of gene therapy for cancer is the method by which the cancer cells are directly targeted. The basis of this method lies in the fundamental process of making cancer cells for sensitive to chemo and radiation therapy. Many scientists consider this modality highly promising.  The main target of this therapy has been head and neck tumors, which are superficial due to their proximity to skin. Hence these tumors are easily isolated and can also be targeted with ease. However there are few uncomely side-effects of this treatment, with patients reporting flu-like symptoms, which include fever, weakness and chills.
All in all, the availability of more genes and more sequences has significantly altered the path of gene therapy for cancer. Many genetic patterns have been expressed which has led to the better understanding of the disease and also its prognosis. Analysis of complex genetic structures has also opened brand new avenues for classifying the tumors, identifying the tumor subtypes, and also determining the prognosis of the disease.