Adenoviral Gene Therapy in Head and Neck Cancer

Abstract

Despite advances in surgical techniques, improvement in radiation therapy and the addition of new biological agents such as cetuximab to traditional chemotherapy, the median survival of patients with head and neck cancer has changed little over the past few decades. However, recent advances in the fundamental understanding of head and neck cancer biology suggest that targeting molecular pathways underlying carcinogenesis may provide alternative or additional approaches to the treatment of head and neck cancer. Viruses, particularly adenoviruses, have been critical in the application and development of these molecular approaches. Adenoviruses have been engineered to function as vectors for delivering therapeutic genes for gene therapy. The purpose of this review is to provide a prospective on the use of adenoviruses in head and neck cancer therapy by examining clinical trials of adenovirus-mediated p53 gene therapy and by reviewing the application of a promising oncolytic adenovirus, ONYX-015, in head and neck cancer.

P53 and PTEN expression contribute to the inhibition of EGFR downstream signaling pathway by cetuximab

“…Also, gene therapy could be envisaged in tumors with genes alteration, as already proposed for p53 using viral vector. 37 …”

Phase I trial of DNA-hsp65 immunotherapy for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

“…37 There are often localized swelling and inflammation at the site of the injection. 38 However, when compared with the side effects of conventional chemotherapeutic treatments, these side effects are minimal. In our study, the most important adverse events, namely pain and edema, were locoregional and could be the result of local inflammation induced by the intratumoral naked DNA injection or correspond to the immune response elicited against the tumor.…”

Official Medications for Anti-Tumor Gene Therapy

“…Помимо сочетанного применения Гендицина с луче-вой терапией (II фаза), проведены также исследования III фазы, целью которых была сравнительная оценка эффек-тивности и токсичности в группах больных плоскоклеточ-ным раком головы-шеи и пищевода, леченных Гендици-ном в сочетании с цисплатином и 5-фторурацилом, или Гендицином в сочетании с адриамицином и 5-фторура-цилом, в сравнении с терапией этими химиопрепаратами без Гендицина [29]. Результаты показали, что добавление интратуморального введения Гендицина к терапии циспла-тином и 5-фторурацилом существенно повышало эффек-тивность терапии: общий ответ в группе с генной терапией достигал 78,8% против 39,6% при применении только хи-миотерапии.…”