Suicide Gene Therapy

Suicide Gene Therapy: Methods and Reviews covers gene therapy that targets malignant cells in a treatment that has become known as “suicide gene therapy. Additional trials used multiple gene therapy protocols that also involved suicide gene therapy (83 with 497 patients), indicating that the interest in this area is considerable. Suicide gene therapy has become a major element in anticancer gene therapy and holds great promise for the future. In Suicide Gene Therapy: Methods and Reviews, prominent researchers and clinicians comprehensively detail the theory and practice of this exciting and elegant therapeutic approach. In their multidisciplinary treatment, the authors cover all the major aspects of suicide gene therapy, including the design and use of vectors in gene transduction, various enzyme and prodrug systems, the mechanistic analysis of the bystander effect, the design and synthesis of prodrugs, the immunological implications, and its clinical impact. They also describe and expound upon all the cutting-edge methods needed to explore, study, and advance understanding of the basic biology underlying gene therapy. Each fully tested method includes step-by-step instructions, a discussion of the principle behind the technique, equipment and reagent lists, tips on troubleshooting and avoiding pitfalls, and notes on the interpretation and use of results. Authoritative and up-to-date, Suicide Gene Therapy: Methods and Reviews not only summarizes our knowledge of suicide gene therapy today, but also provides the experimental means to advance its future development and therapeutic applications. The first comprehensive review of both the theory and practice of suicide gene therapy. The authors cover all the major aspects of suicide gene therapy, including the design and use of vectors in gene transduction, various enzyme and prodrug systems, the mechanistic analysis of the bystander effect, the design and synthesis of prodrugs, immunological implications, and its clinical impact. They also describe all the cutting-edge methods needed to explore, study, and advance understanding of the basic biology underlying gene therapy. Each fully tested method includes step-by-step instructions, a discussion of the principle behind the technique, equipment and reagent lists, tips on troubleshooting and avoiding pitfalls, and notes on the interpretation and use of results.