Gene and immune therapy for renal cell carcinoma

Conventional therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma is associated with a poor response rate and few patients are long-term survivors. The occurre nce of spontaneous regression and the prolonged latency period between prim ary tumor removal and the appearance of metastases in some patients suggest the existence of important host immune responses to autologous tumor cells . With the advent of molecular gene transfer techniques and increased knowl edge of the basic pathways of immune activation, the field of cancer immuno therapy has finally begun to develop novel and effective approaches for har nessing the immune system as a therapeutic agent. Current immunotherapy and gene therapy strategies, including methods of cytokine delivery and tumor- cell-based vaccines, are presented.