| ■ Scientists Claim Cancer Gene Therapy 'Breakthrough' | 2010.04.22 |
| A "seek and destroy" method of delivering genes to hard-to-reach tumors without harming healthy tissue may be a "breakthrough" in gene therapy for cancer, say scientists in Scotland. Lab tests showed that this technique eliminated 90 percent of skin cancer tumors, said the researchers, who are now conducting tests with other types of cancer, BBC News reported. The study appears in the Journal of Controlled Release. "This therapeutic system gave very promising results on cancer treatment in the initial tests we have done," said research leader Dr. Christine Dufes, a lecturer at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, BBC News reported. "To be able to make tumors not just shrink but vanish is a great breakthrough for us, particularly as there's currently no gene therapy of this kind on the market for intravenous administration." Most current gene therapies for tumors cause damage to surrounding healthy tissue. |