Gene therapy for cancer.

Initiation of clinical trials of gene therapies for cancer has been made possible by two major technological advances: the ability to clone genes that constitute the genetic basis of carcinogenesis or that have therapeutic potential, and the development of an increasing number of gene transfer methods. As a result, 30 experimental trials of gene therapy for the treatment of human cancer have been approved in the United States of America. Here, we discuss the current status of gene therapy for cancer together with future directions for its development.