Despite improvements in surgical care and locoregional therapy, the prognos
is of patients with pancreatic cancer has seen little improvement over the
last several decades. It is difficult to diagnose pancreatic cancer at its
earliest stages when it is amenable to cure by surgical resection because i
t is too small to produce symptoms in the affected patient. Recent improvem
ents in radiographic modalities aimed at earlier detection and extent of ca
ncer spread have enabled the clinician to provide the most efficacious trea
tment regimen possible. Nevertheless, pancreatic cancer is very aggressive
locally and frequently metastasizes to the liver and peritoneum. New strate
gies are necessary to treat pancreatic cancer and gene therapy offers hope
in this regard.
Many studies have revealed the promise of gene therapy in the treatment of
pancreatic cancer in rodent models. Early clinical trials are ongoing to ev
aluate the success of these gene therapy regimens in humans. In this articl
e we review the gene therapy strategies currently employed in the fight aga
inst pancreatic cancer, including antisense strategies, gene-directed prodr
ug activation therapy, promoter gene strategies, and oncolytic viral therap
y.