Among the many possible applications of gene therapy, cancer therapy is the hottest area. Gene therapy of cancer can be classified in two ways; direct and indirect (immunologic) approaches. Anti-oncogene or tumor suppressor gene therapy is a
strategy to
intervent the pathogenesis of cancer directly. Cytokine gene tharapy is designed to augement immune response against autologous tumor cells by transfecting cytokine genes into the tumor cells. As there have been remarkable developments in our
understanding of the molecular basis of human cancer, enormous potential for the use of gene therapy not only to cure cancer, but also to prevent it is anticipated. However, many hurdles, ethical and technical, still remain. The transition from
theoretical possibility to practical reality may herald the end of beginning of genetherapy in cancer treatment.
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