Gene therapy in the management of oral cancer: review of the literature.

Gene therapy essentially consists of introducing specific genetic material into target cells without producing toxic effects on surrounding tissue. Advances over recent decades in the surgical, radiotherapeutic and chemotherapeutic treatment of oral cancer patients have not produced a significant improvement in patient survival. Increasing interest is being shown in developing novel therapies to reverse oral epithelial dysplastic lesions. This review provides an update on transfer techniques, therapeutic strategies, and the clinical applications and limitations of gene therapy in the management of oral cancer and precancer. We highlight the combination of gene therapy with chemotherapy (e.g., 5-Fluoracil) and immunotherapy, given the promising results obtained in the use of adenovirus to act at altered gene level (e.g., p53). Other techniques such as suicide gene therapy, use of oncolytic viruses or the use of antisense RNA have shown positive although very preliminary results. Therefore, further research into these promising gene therapy techniques is required to assess their true efficacy and safety in the management of these lesions.

Gene therapy in the management of oral cancer: Review of the literature

Gene therapy essentially consists of introducing specific genetic material into target cells without producing toxic effects on surrounding tissue. Advances over recent decades in the surgical, radiotherapeutic and chemotherapeutic treatment of oral cancer patients have not produced a significant improvement in patient survival. Increasing interest is being shown in developing novel therapies to reverse oral epithelial dysplastic lesions. This review provides an update on transfer techniques, therapeutic strategies, and the clinical applications and limitations of gene therapy in the management of oral cancer and precancer. We highlight the combination of gene therapy with chemotherapy (e.g., 5-Fluoracil) and immunotherapy, given the promising results obtained in the use of adenovirus to act at altered gene level (e.g., p53). Other techniques such as suicide gene therapy, use of oncolytic viruses or the use of antisense RNA have shown positive although very preliminary results. Therefore, further research into these promising gene therapy techniques is required to assess their true efficacy and safety in the management of these lesions

Papel del virus del herpes humano en la enfermedad periodontal / The role of the human herpes in the periodontal disease

La enfermedad periodontal es una enfermedad multifactorial e infecciosa donde el papel de las bacterias es imprescindible, aunque la presencia del virus del herpes humano (VHH) puede influir en la etiopatogenia de la enfermedad. El VHH parece reducir la capacidad defensiva de los tejidos periodontales. El citomegalovirus humano (CMVH), el virus de Epstein-Barr tipo I (VEB-I), se ha asociado de manera íntima a la periodontitis. El virus de Epstein-Barr tipo 2 (VEB-II), el virus del herpes humano tipo 6 (VHH-6), el virus del Herpes Simple (VHS), parecen tener una pequeña asociación con la mayoría de las enfermedades periodontales destructivas. No existe información suficiente sobre la aparición del virus del herpes tipo 7 (VHH-7) y 8(VHH-8) en lesiones periodontales. La realización de técnicas moleculares que permitan conocer la cantidad de virus en el surco gingival puede darnos a conocer el papel del VHH en la enfermedad periodontal (AU)

Periodontitis is an infectious and multifactorial disease where the role of the bacteria is necessary, although the presence of HHV can influence the ethiopatogenia of the disease. HHV decrease the ability of the defence of the periodontal tissues. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), Epstein- Barr type I (EBV-I), has been closely allied to the periodontitis. Epstein-Barr type II (EBV-II), human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6), simple herpes virus (HSV) seem to have a small association with the most of the destructive periodontal diseases. There not exist enough information about the presence of herpes virus-7 (HHV-7) and human virus herpes-8 (HHV-8) in periodontal lesions. Molecular techniques that allow us to know the viral load in the gingival sulcus may show us the role of the HHV in periodontitis (AU)