Can immunotherapy by gene transfer tip the balance against colorectal cancer?

Abstract

Colorectal cancer comprises 10–15% of deaths from cancer in industrial nations, second only to lung cancer.1 Survival rates (40% >5 years) have remained stable over the past 20 years and so a number of treatments to supplement surgical resection and chemotherapy are under investigation, including enhancement of the immune response. This article considers gene therapy, in particular the transfer of immunomodulatory genes and selectively cytotoxic enzymes to tumour cells as well as DNA vaccination, as a means of enhancing cell mediated immunity specifically for the treatment of colorectal cancer.