Gene therapy for malignant glioma

Abstract

Gliomas are the most common form of primary intracranial malignancy, with glioblastoma multiforme carrying the worst prognosis. Within the context of experimental treatments for this disease, gene and viral oncolytic therapies are two promising and emerging therapeutic strategies. This review explores the different varieties of gene therapy vectors and some of the major advances in the development of oncolytic viruses for targeting these tumors from the preclinical and clinical perspectives. For both gene and oncolytic virotherapy, the limited reach of distant tumor pockets remains a major limitation of their efficacy; thus, some of the initiatives to overcome this obstacle are presented. We attempt a critical review of the available literature with a focus on the present challenges in the field of glioma gene therapy.