Abstract

The development of antitumor preparations with low toxicity and high selectivity of action is one of the top priorities of cancer gene therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells possess natural tropism towards tumors, a property that makes it possible to use them as vehicles for the targeted delivery of therapeutic genes to tumors of various etiologies. At present, genes that encode enzymes (cytosine deaminase, thymidine kinase, carboxyl esterase), cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-12, and IFN-β), and apoptosis inducing factors (TRAIL) are used as therapeutic genes. Mesenchymal stem cells, as demonstrated using experimental models of tumors of various etiologies, as well as animals with metastases in brain and lungs, are able to successfully deliver therapeutic genes into tumors and produce a significant antitumor effect. However, to effectively use this therapeutic strategy in a clinical setting, a number of technical problems must be solved.

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