Question

Do you know why bacterium plasmids are used for gene cloning but retroviruses are used for gene therapy when they both just modify DNA?

Answer 1

Answer:

Yes

Explanation:

The goal of cancer gene therapy is to introduce new genetic material into target cells without toxicity to non-target tissues.The patient with recurrent or metastastic cancer is often considered incurable. A variety of chemotherapeutic agents has been used alone, and in combination, for the treatment of recurrent oral squamous cell carcinoma. However, chemotherapy is associated with well-known toxicities and has demonstrated no clear impact on survival in patients with recurrent oral cancer. Local and regional disease control is paramount, underscoring an urgent need for more effective therapies. Gene therapy has the potential to target cancer cells while sparing normal tissues. Such a strategy may be useful for recurrent disease as well as in the adjuvant setting (i.e., at the resected tumor margins).

Although gene therapy as a treatment for disease holds great promise, progress in developing effective clinical protocols has been slow. The problem lies in the development of safe and efficient gene-delivery systems. This review will evaluate the problems and the potential solutions in this new field of medicine.