Mesenchymal Stem Cell-based Cancer Gene Therapy: Application and Unresolved Problems
Sinh Truong Nguyen
Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Application, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam.
Viet Quoc Pham
Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Application, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam.
Ngoc Kim Phan
Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Application, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam.
Phuc Van Pham *
Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Application, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
There are many barriers that have hindered the progress of clinical application of gene therapy as a potential method for treating cancer. These limitations are caused by transduction/delivery failure rates with viral vector systems and were due to the resultant non-specific targeting as well as the triggering of immune system stimulation. Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were found to be advantageous in improving tumor tropism as well as in providing an immune-privilege. Therefore, the combination of viral vector systems and stem cells was suggested as an attractive solution to promote targeted-delivery of anticancer therapeutics to tumor sites. In this regard, many published studies have shown that MSCs could be useful as a potential vehicle for delivering anticancer agents to tumors. In this review, the disadvantages of viral vector systems for gene therapy were analyzed, and an updated account on the role of MSCs in cancer gene therapy was presented. In addition, major safety and therapeutic unresolved problems facing this approach in clinical application were also addressed.
Keywords: Mesenchymal stem cells, gene therapy, tumor tropism, immune-privilege, cancer