Ex Vivo Gene Transfer in Tumour Cells, Fibroblasts or T Lymphocytes, Destroys Tumour Cells, Immunostimulatory Genes, Retroviral Virus, Encoding Cytokines, Antisense Genes Blocking, Reinjected, Fibroplasts, T Lymphocytes, Cytokinase Gene, Sensitive Genes, Toxic Cells, Thymidine Kinase

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	Ex vivogene transfer in tumour cells, fibroblasts or T lymphocytes In this approach tumour cells from the patient are grown in culture. immunostimulatory genes are inserted in vitroand the genetically engineered tumour cells are reinjected into the patient. This not only destroys the tumours, but also vaccinates the patient against the recurrence of the tumour. In most cases retroviral vectors are used for delivery of either the genes encoding cytokines (e.g. IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-a, etc.), or the antisense genes blocking production of growth factors. In some cases, the gene is inserted into patients fibroblasts, which are mixed with irradiated tumour cells from the patient and reinjected.
This is preferred because culturing fibroblasts is easier than culturing tumour cells from a large number of individuals. Tumour infiltrating T lymphocytes (TILs) have also been used for genetic engineering to deliver cytokines directly onto the tumours, although their transformation is difficult and they down regulate expression of cytokine gene. Sensitivity genes have also been used, which increase sensitivity of the tumour cells to certain drugs that will thus become toxic and kill tumour cells. One such gene is thymidine kinase gene of the herpes simplex virus (HSVtk). It imparts to the cancer cells sensitivity to anti-herpes drug ganiclovir (GCV), which is phosphorylated due to HSVtk and inhibits DNA polymerase, causing cell death. The approach has been used in certain brain cancers and ovarian cancers.

In Utero Gene Therapy or IUGT (Before Symptons Appear)
Gene Therapy for Genetic (Heritable) Diseases
Gene Therapy for Acquired Diseased
Gene Therapy for Infectious diseases
Gene Therapy for Cardiovascular diseases
Gene Therapy for cancer (somatic mutations)
Ex vivo Gene Transfer in tumour cells, Fibroblasts or T lymphocytes
Ex vivo Gene transfer in Bone marrow Stem cells
Nanotechnology for Drug Targeting and Gene Therapy
Gene Therapy using nanotechnology
Some Initial Success in Gene Therapy
Gene Therapy Deaths and the Future of Gene Therapy