Gene Therapy

What is Gene therapy?
Gene therapy refers to ways of utilizing genes to treat illnesses by changing human hereditary material. Gene therapy is the insertion of normal or genetically altered genes into cells to replace the defective genes which causing cancer spread and tumor growth.

Cancer = Malfunction of our Genes (DNA)
Cancer begins in our cells - the body's basic unit of life.  Normally, cells grow and divide as part of the normal process of cell regeneration which keeps our body healthy. When cells become old or damaged, they die and are replaced with new cells. However, sometimes this normal process goes wrong:  the genetic material (DNA) of a cell can become damaged or changed, producing mutations that affect normal cell growth and division. When the DNA of a cell is damaged, cells do not die when they should, and more cells are forming when the body does not need them. These extra cells may develop into a mass of tissue called a tumor.

Benign / Malignant Tumors
While some tumors are benign and can be removed from the body without further spreading, other tumors, called malignant tumors, are cancerous; they can invade healthy tissues and spread to other parts of the body (Metastasis).

Nearly all cancers are caused by abnormalities in the genetic material of the transformed cells. These abnormalities may be due to the effects of carcinogens, such as tobacco smoke, radiation, chemicals, or infectious agents. Other cancer-promoting genetic abnormalities may be randomly acquired through errors in DNA replication, or are inherited, and thus present in all cells from birth.

The role of Tumor Suppressor Genes
Tumor Suppressor Genes are special genes which are in charge on slowing down cell division, the repair of DNA mistakes and the elimination of old or damaged cells. When tumor suppressor genes don’t function properly, an uncontrollable cell growth may occur, which may lead to cancer. Among about 30 tumor suppressor genes that have been identified, the most potent member of this group and the most studied one is a gene called P53 gene.

P53 Gene - the "Genome guardian”.
P53 Gene acts to kill cancer cells, suppress cancer cell growth and prevent cells from becoming cancerous.  After more than two decades of study, the P53 Gene is widely regarded as the "genome guardian."

It has been estimated that at least half of all human malignancies are related to a mutation of the P53 Gene.  The core principle of Gene therapy for cancer is to repair the malfunctioning of this natural genetic guardian.