Japanese scientists are trying out a new gene therapy method to treat a brain tumor patient.
Researchers at Nagoya University developed the technique, and used it on Monday, to treat a woman in her 30s who had a recurring malignant brain tumor.
The researchers, led by Professor Jun Yoshida, used a different vector to carry the gene into the body than most previous experiments. The Japanese doctors used liposomes, tiny particles made from artificial fat, to deliver genes that they hope will produce interferon, a cancer-killing substance.
Many experiments in the United States and Europe use an altered virus called adenovirus to carry genes into the body. The adenovirus has become controversial since a gene therapy experiment last September that killed 18-year-old Jesse Gelsinger at the University of Pennsylvania -- the first known death of its kind.
Some researchers have even suggested a moratorium on the use of viral vectors in gene therapy trials.
The researchers say the new gene therapy may be less risky, and they expect that Monday's experiment will spark interest in the using the liposome as a vector in gene therapy to treat other diseases as well. Liposomes can also be mass produced, the Japanese researchers said.
It's more difficult for liposomes to penetrate cancer cells than the adenovirus, but the doctors say it's worth the disadvantage because liposomes are less toxic and likelier to cause fewer side effects.
