New prostate cancer treatment called suicide gene therapy which is in phase 2 trial is discussed below. The phase 2 trial is that the long-term outcome for prostate cancer patients receiving the suicide gene therapy in combination with radiotherapy - with or without hormonal therapy - is promising. The therapy agent is a herpes virus gene that produces the enzyme thymidine kinase or TK, a widely used suicide agent for gene therapy of cancer.
Once the gene was inserted in the tumor cells and began making TK, the researchers gave the patients valacyclovir a commonly used anti-herpes drug. "The combination attacked the herpes DNA, and the TK-producing tumor cells self-destructed, which is why the procedure is called suicide gene therapy." What do you think about this new gene therapy? Do you think it would help in prostate cancer treatment?
