Combinational Gene Therapy toward Cancer with Nanoplatform: Strategies and Principles

Abstract

Cancer remains a significant threat to human health. While numerous therapies have been developed to combat the disease, traditional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy are suboptimal and associated with significant side effects. Gene therapy is an emerging therapeutic approach that offers improved targeting and reduced side effects compared with traditional treatments. Using siRNA and other nucleic acid-based drugs in cancer treatment has generated significant interest among researchers. Nanocarriers, such as liposomes, can effectively deliver these agents to tumor sites. However, gene therapy alone is often insufficient to eradicate tumors, and there is a risk of recurrence. Therefore, combining gene therapy with other therapies using nanocarriers, such as phototherapy and magnetic hyperthermia therapy, can lead to synergistic therapeutic effects through different mechanisms. In this review, we summarize various ways in which gene therapy can be combined with other therapies and highlight the role of nanoplatforms in mediating these combined therapies, which would inspire novel design ideas toward combination therapies. Additionally, bottlenecks and barriers to gene therapy should be addressed in the near future to achieve better clinical efficacy.