Anti-tumor gene therapy.

Gene therapy as an anti-tumor strategy is becoming a powerful tool for cytokine delivery to inhibit the growth of many tumors. Several delivery systems are being utilized and designed for the expression of specific genes to achieve a therapeutic result. Liposomes, retroviral vectors, and adenoviral vectors have all been used and eventual clinical application may depend on the type of tumor, the location, the specific gene carried, and the patient's health status. Novel expression vectors may eventually achieve tissue-specific targeting and low immuno-reactivity. Inactivation of mutated oncogenes, such as ras, or re-expression of inactive suppressor genes, such as p53 have been used as strategies for anti-tumor therapy. Additionally, exogenious genes, such as viral thymidine kinase that metabolize chemotherapeutic agents to achieve local cytotoxicity have also been employed. Neuro-endocrine tumors are targets of these gentic strategies since they are often difficult to treat by conventional methods because of their location (brain tumors) or because they have spread from the primary tumor (melanoma). Further advances in the design of these vectors may achieve safe targeting of a variety of malignant tumors.