%0 Journal Article
%T Advances in mesenchymal stem cell-mediated gene therapy for cancer
%A Roisin M Dwyer
%A Sonja Khan
%A Frank P Barry
%A Timothy O'Brien
%A Michael J Kerin
%J Stem Cell Research & Therapy
%D 2010
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/scrt25
%X Despite significant advances in the field of gene therapy for cancer, two major obstacles remain that continue to limit the clinical potential of this approach: lack of tumour tropism of vectors, and stimulation of an immune response. These barriers preclude systemic administration of current vectors to efficiently target metastatic disease. The combination of cellular therapy and gene delivery is an attractive option as it will potentially protect the vector from immune surveillance, and will support targeted delivery of a gene or therapeutic protein to the tumour site.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are nonhaematopoietic stem cells that have generated a significant amount of interest as a result of their apparent ability to home to the tumour site following systemic delivery. MSCs have an inherent ability both to self-renew and to differentiate into multiple lineages including osteoblasts, chondrocytes and adipocytes [1]. The cells are readily isolated from the stromal compartment of bone marrow, along with a number of other sources including adipose tissue, trabecular bone and skeletal muscle [2]. Although a single marker for MSCs has not been isolated, a panel of specific antigens has been identified, including expression of CD105, CD73 and CD90 in >95% of the culture, and an absence of CD14, CD34, CD19, HLA-DR and CD45 [3]. When introduced systemically to healthy animals, MSCs have been shown to home preferentially to the lung, liver and bone, and were found to a lesser extent in other tissues. Upon injury, however, the migratory pathway changes to preferentially target sites of injury [4].Although MSCs have potential uses in regenerative medicine and a number of different disease models, the present review will specifically focus on their potential for targeted gene delivery in the context of cancer. This is an exciting area of research that has gained considerable momentum in recent years, with studies reporting engineered MSCs specifically targeting multiple t
%U http://stemcellres.com/content/1/3/25