Gene therapy for human liver diseases

The liver can be considered an ideal target to design gene therapy strategi es because of the unique properties of hepatic cells. The great amount of w ork carried out in this field clearly delineates the quality of the new app roaches that have been developed in the last few years and demonstrates the feasibility of this strategy in a wide range of multi-factorial and inheri ted disorders. However, improvement of current vectors to specifically and efficiently deliver the therapeutic gene into the target cell remains a dau nting problem. In this review, we will summarize the most important approac hes that are currently under investigation, the pathological conditions tha t can be treated by this strategy and the most important drawbacks that rem ain to be overcome in order to achieve long-term and high-level gene expres sion, fur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 11:421-429 (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.