Anticancer Genes

This book discusses the emergence of a new class of genes with a specific anticancer activity. These genes, recently defined as “Anticancer Genes”, are reviewed in individual chapters on their mode of action, the specific cell death signals they induce, and the status of attempts to translate them into clinical application.

Anticancer Genes provides an overview of this nascent field, its genesis, current state, and prospect. It discusses how Anticancer Genes might lead to the identification of a repertoire of signaling pathways directed against cellular alterations that are specific for tumor cells.

With contributions from experts worldwide, Anticancer Genes is an essential guide to this dynamic topic for researchers and students in cancer research, molecular medicine, pharmacology and toxicology and genetics as well as clinicians and clinical researchers interested in the therapeutic potential of this exciting new field.

Introductory chapter.- Viral Anticancer Genes.- Signalling of apoptin.- Apoptin towards safe and efficient anticancer therapies.- Introduction of cancer-specific cell death by the adenovirus E4orf4 protein.- Tumor Suppressing Properties of Rodent Parvovirus NS1 Proteins and their Derivatives.- Cellular Anticancer Genes.- MDA-7/IL-24: Multifunctional Cancer Killing Cytokine.- Cancer-Selective Apoptosis by Tumor Suppressor Par-4.- Tumor-necrosis-factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL).- SIRT6: a promising target for cancer prevention and therapy.- An Overview of Brevinin Superfamily: Structure, Function and Clinical Perspectives.- Isolation and Characterisation of the Anticancer Gene Organic Cation Transporter Like-3 (ORCTL3).- Anticancer Gene Therapy.- Introduction of Genes via Sonoporation and Electroporation.- Anticancer Gene Transfer for Cancer Gene Therapy.