Gene Therapy Cancer Treatment

The nucleus, often called the brain of the cell, is a region consisting of DNA (De-oxy ribo-nucleic acid) and RNA in the centre of each cell. A DNA is a ribbon like helical structure which generally exists in the form of chromosomes. It contains the genetic material you inherit from your parents. These chromosomes, 46 in number, comprise some 30,000 genes, which carry generic instructions instructing cells on how to work and also controlling our development and growth. They determine how our bodies function and how we appear. They assist in repair of damaged and broken down cells. 2 copies of a gene exist in a person, 1 each inherited from your mother and father.

A gene, when damaged, is said to be mutated. This often leads to improper cell functioning and uncontrollable cell growth. This is what eventually forms a cancerous tumor. Several application methods of gene therapy are being tested presently by researchers.

Gene therapy involves replacement of missing or improperly functioning genes. P53, for example, a tumor suppression gene, is sometimes missing or not working in cells due to a mutation. These cells can be fixed through gene therapy by adding more P53 to the cells.

Mutated genes which might cause spread of an existing cancer (metastasis) or even lead to the formation of a new cancer are oncogenes, which are a kind of gene mutation. Cancer and its spread can be checked by simply checking this mutation or its functioning.

Gene therapy aims at assisting the body’s immune system in inserting into cancerous cells genes which will lead to an attack on the cancer cells by the body itself by being identified as a foreign cell. However, this insertion of genes into cancer cells makes them stronger and more resistive to other forms of therapy such as chemotherapy, hormonal therapy or radiation therapy. Suicide genes are also created which when inserted into cancer cells destroy themselves as well the host cancer cell.

Various blood vessels surround a cell and help it survive. Some forms of gene therapy prevent such blood vessels from forming, hence choking cancer cells and starving them to death (called antiogenesis).

Gene therapy effectively uses various genes to protect healthy and functional cells from side effects of all forms of cancer therapy and thus allow quicker recovery by allowing higher doses of chemotherapy and radiation.

Various forms of gene therapy administration have been identified. Sometimes, cells from the patient are taken and some form of virus harmful to those cells is introduced to them. This cell with a parasite virus then finds a way into other cancer cells, thus destroying or impairing their functionality. Another form is intravenously injecting a cell with the attached virus through infusion or injection into a tumor or a body cavity.

As with all other forms of therapy, gene therapy has a few side-effects as well. Since this form of cancer therapy is relatively new, long term effects have not been deeply researched on and hence could lead to even more problems later on. Also, since these consist of new types of genes, the body’s immune system may identify them as foreign invaders and completely reject them, in some causes causing severe chills, fever, nausea, drop in blood pressure and headaches. Genes injected into the lung may have adversely affect the lung.

It is feared that these genes could even enter healthy cells, causing them irreparable damage, thus causing in turn another transmutation or a worse disease. They could affect the reproductive system by damaging sperm and egg cells.

Presently, research does not show that gene therapy can cure cancer all alone, so it is given only in conjunction with other therapies. Periodic radiology studies are used to measure the status of the tumor. This is also done through the blood by tumor markers.