Use of suicide genes for cancer gene therapy: study of the different approaches

Abstract

Cancer is a disease of high incidence for which conventional treatments are not necessarily effective. There is a need for the development of new alternative strategies. Among them, suicide gene therapy has been developed. In this approach, a gene encoding for a protein toxic under particular conditions is delivered to the target cells, resulting in their death. Although this approach has been in development for a long time, new combinations with other gene therapy areas, such as selective replicative viruses, tumour targeting, or conventional treatments such as chemo- or radiotherapy, are currently being tested. This review will summarise some of these approaches.

• bystander effect
• cytochrome P450
• cytosine deaminase
• Escherichia coli nitroreductase
• ganciclovir
• HSV-tk
• suicide gene