Gene Therapy of Hemophilia B

Gene therapy for the haemophilias

A variety of approaches for transferring genes for factors VIII and IX are being investigated. No single technique has emerged as superior, but considerable progress has been made in factor expression after in vivo delivery of vectors into animal models, which has led to considerations of clinical trial development for both factors. The last decade has seen several major contributions to the field from many different laboratories. In early attempts coding DNAs (cDNAs) for factor IX or VIII were inserted into cells grown in culture, then the modified cells were returned to the donor animal. Unfortunately, the modified cells expressed clotting factor better in culture (ex vivo) than in the animal (in vivo). This led to attempts to transfer cDNAs by inserting them into vectors that were then administered directly to animals, by either intravenous or intramuscular routes. There was some success with either long-term expression of subtherapeutic amounts of expressed protein or even normal amounts that circulated transiently for up to a few months. However, it has only been within the last year that improved vectors have provided sufficiently encouraging results to allow contemplation of clinical trials in humans. Recent advances that are likely to lead to human clinical trials are summarized in this monograph.

Targeted adenoviral vectors for cancer gene therapy

The delineation of the molecular basis of cancer allows for the possibility of specific intervention at the molecular level for therapeutic purposes. To this end, viral and nonviral vectors have been designed for delivery and expression of genes into target malignant and non-malignant cells. Gene transfer by available vectors, applied both in the ex vivo and in in vivo contexts, has resulted frequently in the desired cellular phenotypical changes. In this regard, recombinant adenoviruses have been particularly efficient for in vivo gene transfer. Importantly, numerous human clinical protocols using adenoviruses have rapidly entered Phase I clinical trials. However, major vector-related problems remain to be solved before the transfer of therapeutic genes by adenoviruses can become an effective and common place strategy for cancer. An overriding obstacle is the basic ability to deliver therapeutic genes specifically into tumor cells. Here we review a diverse number of advances in adenoviral vectors being developed for overcoming this obstacle. As vector technology fulfills these requirements for obtaining the "targetable-injectable" vector, it is anticipated that promising results already observed in pre-clinical studies will translate quickly into the clinic.

Biotechnology domain

Biotechnology and the use of biologically based agents for the betterment of mankind is an active field which is founded on the interaction between many basic sciences. This is achieved in coordination with engineering and technology for scaling up purposes. The application of modern recombinant DNA technology gave momentum and new horizons to the field of biotechnology both in the academic setting and in industry. The applications of biotechnology are being used in many fields including agriculture, medicine, industry, marine science and the environment. The final products of biotechnological applications are diverse. In the medical applications of biotechnology, for example, the field has been evolving in such a way that the final product could be a small molecule (e.g. drug/antibiotic) that can be developed based on genetic information by drug design or drug screening using a cloned and expressed target protein.