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Review
. 2018 Jun 30;19(7):1930.
doi: 10.3390/ijms19071930.

Recent Progress in Gene Therapy for Ovarian Cancer

Ángela Áyen  1 , Yaiza Jiménez Martínez  2   3 , Juan A Marchal  4   5   6   7 , Houria Boulaiz  8   9   10   11
Affiliations
Review

Recent Progress in Gene Therapy for Ovarian Cancer

Ángela Áyen et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy in developed countries. This is due to the lack of specific symptoms that hinder early diagnosis and to the high relapse rate after treatment with radical surgery and chemotherapy. Hence, novel therapeutic modalities to improve clinical outcomes in ovarian malignancy are needed. Progress in gene therapy has allowed the development of several strategies against ovarian cancer. Most are focused on the design of improved vectors to enhance gene delivery on the one hand, and, on the other hand, on the development of new therapeutic tools based on the restoration or destruction of a deregulated gene, the use of suicide genes, genetic immunopotentiation, the inhibition of tumour angiogenesis, the alteration of pharmacological resistance, and oncolytic virotherapy. In the present manuscript, we review the recent advances made in gene therapy for ovarian cancer, highlighting the latest clinical trials experience, the current challenges and future perspectives.

Keywords: delivery systems; gene therapy; ovarian cancer; ovarian cancer stem cells; promoter; suicide genes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Algorithm for management of ovarian cancer. Figo Staging ovarian images modified from Cancer Research UK/Wikimedia Commons.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Summary of current therapies targeting ovarian cancer through the use of cell-based vectors. (A) MSCs as vehicles for drug delivery; (B) reprogramming the T cells of patients to express CARs targeting ovarian cancer.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Tumour suppressor genes are involved in a wide variety of antitumour functions. (A) If these functions are inhibited, the tumour appears; (B) diverse strategies in gene therapy have tumour suppressor genes as a molecular target, enabling the recovery of gene function and tumour destruction.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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