Published online May 20, 2017. doi: 10.5493/wjem.v7.i2.42
Peer-review started: January 21, 2017
First decision: March 8, 2017
Revised: April 24, 2017
Accepted: May 3, 2017
Article in press: May 5, 2017
Published online: May 20, 2017
Processing time: 120 Days and 22.4 Hours
This mini-review presents the results of veterinary clinical trials on immunogene therapy published from 2014 to 2016. A variety of tumors, among them melanoma (canine and equine), mastocytoma (canine), mammary adenocarcinoma (canine) and fibrosarcoma (feline) were treated by using diverse strategies. Non-viral vectors were usually employed to transfer genes of cytokines, suicide enzymes and/or tumor associated antigens. In general terms, minor or no adverse collateral effects were related to these procedures, and treated patients frequently improved their conditions (better quality of life, delayed or suppressed recurrence or metastatic spread, increased survival). Some of these new methodologies have a promising future if applied as adjuvant treatments of standard approaches. The auspicious results, derived from immunogene therapy studies carried out in companion animals, warrant their imperative usage in veterinary clinical oncology. Besides, they provide a strong preclinical basis (safety assays and proofs of concept) for analogous human clinical trials.
Core tip: Cancer immunogene therapy is a major growing area among human clinical trials. Until August 2016 there were about 2409 registered gene therapy trials, where 1554 were aimed to cancer, and among them 864 corresponded to immunotherapy. Working with veterinary cancer bearing patients can significantly speed up translational research and benefit both veterinary and human patients. New data demonstrated the safety and efficacy of different immunotherapy approaches. Following our previously published review on the subject covering from 1996 to 2014, this new mini-review is focused on veterinary cancer immunogene therapy covering published work in the field from 2014 to 2016.