Gene therapy strategies using engineered stem cells for treating gynecologic and breast cancer patients (Review)

There are three types of stem cells: embryonic stem (ES) cells, adult stem (AS) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. These stem cells have many benefits including the potential ability to differentiate into various organs. In addition, engineered stem cells (GESTECs) designed for delivering therapeutic genes may be capable of treating human diseases including malignant cancers. Stem cells have been found to possess the potential for serving as novel delivery vehicles for therapeutic or suicide genes to primary or metastatic cancer formation sites as a part of gene-directed enzyme/prodrug combination therapy (GEPT). Given the advantageous properties of stem cells, tissue-derived stem cells are emerging as a new tool for anticancer therapy combined with prodrugs. In this review, the effects of GESTECs with different origins, i.e., neural, amniotic membrane and amniotic fluid, introduced to treat patients with diverse types of gynecologic and breast cancers are discussed. Data from the literature indicate the therapeutic potential of these cells as a part of gene therapy strategies to selectively target malignancies in women at clinically terminal stages.