Description
It has long been accepted that there is a genetic component to the causation of cancer of the large bowel – hereditary disorders such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), juvenile polyposis and the more recently described Lynch syndromes are recognised as predisposing to the development of colorectal cancer. The expansion in understanding of the genetic basis of disease over the last 10 years has been accompanied by advances in interventional genetics for the treatment of disease. Early gene therapy protocols aimed to treat single gene disorders by introducing functioning copies of the defective gene into the appropriate organ or tissue1-5. Current gene therapy trials now focus on diseases such as cancer, ischaemic heart disease and the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) which may be due to the interplay of genetic and environmental factors. There are currently over 100 protocols for cancer gene therapy approved by regulatory authorities world-wide.
