Engineering A p53-Independent Therapeutic Switch: A Hypothetical Framework for AAV-Driven Expression of p21, Gadd45, and Bax for Controlled Cancer Cell Fate
Nour Hamada
Abstract
Background: Gene therapy is a promising field in modern medicine, particularly for cancer treatment. Viral vectors, particularly Adenoassociated virus, provide efficient gene delivery and have advanced rapidly due to their advantages over other gene-carrying vectors, such as lack of pathogenicity, ability to transfect both dividing and non-dividing cells, low host immune response, and long-term expression.
Methods: The paper offers a synthetic gene circuit that can bypass defective p53 in cancer cells without directly addressing it. Using alternative genetic modules such as GADD45, p21, and BAX, the system reconstructs critical p53 capabilities such as cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, and apoptosis.
Results: This technique aims to use targeted gene therapy to achieve controlled and selective tumor suppression.
Conclusions: This synthetic gene circuit provides a strong therapeutic framework demonstrating that using different modules to get around p53-deficiency may be a practical route for targeted cancer treatment in the future.
Trial registration: Not applicable.
