Cancer Gene Therapy
Adenovirus is a virus that causes respiratory tract and eye infections. Adenoviruses used in gene therapy are altered to carry a specific tumor-fighting gene.
Anti-angiogenesis prevents the growth of new blood vessels. Tumors need their own blood supply to survive and by halting the development of new blood vessels, the tumor's supply of oxygen and nutrients are cut off, thus destroying the tumor.
Antigens are a substance that when introduced into the body stimulates the production of an antibody. Antigens include toxins, bacteria, foreign blood cells, and the cells of transplanted organs.
Apoptosis is programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted or unneeded cells, if they are recognized as such.
Clinical Translation is the process that transforms research evidence into clinical guidelines and policy. The aim of translation is to provide useful, useable, and relevant packages of summarized evidence to clinicians in a form that suits their time, cost, and care standards. Generically, these evidence-based clinical packages are called clinical practice guidelines.
Clinical trial is a biomedical experiment involving patients that follows very precise rules so that a drug or treatment may be evaluated for safety and efficacy.
DNA [deoxyribonucleic acid] carries genetic information in the cell and is capable of self-replication and synthesis of RNA. DNA consists of two long chains of nucleotides twisted into a double helix and joined by hydrogen bonds between the complementary bases adenine and thymine or cytosine and guanine. The sequence of nucleotides determines individual hereditary characteristics.
Gene is a segment of DNA found on a chromosome that codes for a particular protein. Humans have approximately 100,000 genes that act as a blueprint for making specific enzymes or other proteins for virtually every biomedical reaction and body structure.
Genome is the sum of all genes that code for a particular organism or human.
Gene Therapy employs therapeutic genes to fight the disease caused by damaged or defective genes. It is primarily the process of introducing genetic material (DNA or RNA) into a person's cells to fight disease.
Immunotherapy [immune-mediated gene therapy] stimulates or restores the ability of the immune system to fight infection and disease. Research hopes to harness immune mechanisms against tumor cells, by using the patient's own immune system or the transfer of antibodies or T-cells from an outside source.
Lymphocytes are small white blood cells that plays a large role in defending the body against disease. Lymphocytes are responsible for immune responses. There are two main types of lymphocytes: B cells and T cells. The B cells make antibodies that attack bacteria and toxins while the T cells attack body cells themselves when they have been taken over by viruses or have become cancerous. Lymphocytes secrete products (lymphokines) that modulate the functional activities of many other types of cells and are often present at sites of chronic inflammation.
Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. In its original sense, 'nanotechnology' refers to the projected ability to construct items from the bottom up, using techniques and tools being developed today to make complete, high performance products.
Oncogene is a gene capable of causing the transformation of normal cells into cancer.
Oncogenesis targets the process in which a damaged cell continues dividing without restrictions, developing into cancer.
Retrovirus is a type of virus that contains RNA as its genetic material. The RNA of the virus is translated into DNA, which inserts itself into an infected cell's own DNA. Retroviruses cause many diseases, including some cancers and AIDS.
RNA [Ribonucleic acid] is the result of biochemically transcribed DNA.
Tumor-Specific Replicating Viruses and Bacteria attack the immune system. Vaccines stimulate the body's immune system to recognize and fight abnormal foreign cells in the body, such as viruses and bacteria. Scientists and doctors are now trying to develop vaccines that can stimulate the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells like viruses or bacteria.
Vector is the gene therapy delivery vehicle or carrier that encapsulates therapeutic genes for delivery to cells.
Viral vectors produce tumor antigens (proteins found on a tumor cell) and can stimulate an antitumor immune response in the body. Viral vectors may also be used to carry genes that can change cancer cells back to normal cells. Vector development seeks to simulate vectors to combat cancer.
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