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Bacterial Systems for Tumor-Specific Gene Therapy

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Cancer Gene Therapy

Part of the book series: Contemporary Cancer Research ((CCR))

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Abstract

This chapter describes the power of genetically engineered bacteria in cancer therapy. In the applications we consider, the bacteria are genetically engineered to carry a specific gene into tumors, and on this basis, it can be considered gene therapy. However, if gene therapy is defined as the introduction of a gene, or part of a gene, into the cancer cells (or normal cells), then using recombinant bacteria as anticancer vectors is not gene therapy. Bacteria are not vectors for the introduction of genes into mammalian cells. However, they can and do concentrate in tumors by various means and can carry a gene of interest to produce a protein of choice in tumors. This can be a powerful adjunct to cancer therapy.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Radiation and Cancer Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA

    J. Martin Brown & Shie-Chau Liu

  2. Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Jan Theys & Philippe Lambin

Authors
  1. J. Martin Brown
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  2. Shie-Chau Liu
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  3. Jan Theys
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  4. Philippe Lambin
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Human Gene Therapy, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

    David T. Curiel MD, PhD  & Joanne T. Douglas PhD  & 

  2. Division of Human Gene Therapy, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

    David T. Curiel MD, PhD  & Joanne T. Douglas PhD  & 

  3. Division of Human Gene Therapy, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

    David T. Curiel MD, PhD  & Joanne T. Douglas PhD  & 

  4. Division of Human Gene Therapy, Department of Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

    David T. Curiel MD, PhD  & Joanne T. Douglas PhD  & 

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© 2005 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Brown, J.M., Liu, SC., Theys, J., Lambin, P. (2005). Bacterial Systems for Tumor-Specific Gene Therapy. In: Curiel, D.T., Douglas, J.T. (eds) Cancer Gene Therapy. Contemporary Cancer Research. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-785-7_26

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