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Major Research
Interest - Gene Therapy:
Gene transfer technologies and
applications to disorders of the central nervous system.
The capacity to transfer a particular
gene into cells of the central nervous system is likely to
provide a major technological advance in the treatment of
disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). Vectors based
on genetically modified viruses or on artificial constructs
are becoming increasingly more efficient in their capacity
to deliver and express a therapeutic gene in vivo into a selected
target tissue. We have chosen experimental CNS tumors as a
model to test vectors and anticancer genes for efficiency
of expression and therapeutic effectiveness. Viral vectors
based on herpes simplex virus (HSV) have been modified to
shuttle in vivo into tumor cells genes that will activate
pro-drugs, induce apoptosis, or stimulate a host immune response.
We have also modified wild-type herpes virus to render its
replication selective for tumor cells, by defining human tumor
complementation groups that will allow for the growth of different
mutants of the virus.
Currently active research areas include:
1) engineering more efficient "tumor-killing" vectors, 2)
finding and testing novel prodrug/ gene therapy strategies,
3) using different classes of anticancer genes in combination,
4) correcting the genetic defects in brain tumor cells, 5)
using vector technology to deliver therapeutic genes in animal
models of peripheral nerve and spinal cord degeneration. Important
questions related to brain tumor biology can also be investigated
using gene transfer technologies.
Links
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