The Medical Advisor

In the ever-evolving field of oncology, understanding genetics and genomics is crucial for patients, families, and healthcare providers alike. Genetics focuses on the study of genes and their role in inheritance—how certain traits or conditions are passed from one generation to the next. Genetic testing identifies inherited mutations present in every cell of the body since birth (known as germline testing). This can be performed via a blood test, cheek swab, or saliva sample. In cancer care, it's vital because it detects inherited predispositions to specific cancers, such as those linked to BRCA1/2, ATM, PALB2, CHEK2, BRIP1, Lynch syndrome, and others. These insights inform treatment choices, surveillance strategies, risk-reduction measures, and family testing recommendations. Genomics, on the other hand, examines a person's entire genome. In cancer, genomic testing analyzes the tumor cells to pinpoint gene or protein alterations that distinguish them from healthy cells. By se...

Gendicine (recombinant human p53 adenovirus), developed by Shenzhen SiBiono GeneTech Co. Ltd., was approved in 2003 by the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) as a first-in-class gene therapy product to treat head and neck cancer, and entered the commercial market in 2004. The global cancer gene therapy market size was valued at USD 1.68 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20% from 2022 to 2030. The growth of the market is attributed to factors such as the growing demand for gene therapy and an increased incidence of cancer cases across the globe.  Gendicine is a biological therapy that is delivered via minimally invasive intratumoral injection, as well as by intracavity or intravascular infusion. The wild-type (wt) p53 protein expressed by Gendicine-transduced cells is a tumor suppressor that is activated by cellular stress, and mediates cell-cycle arrest and DNA repair, or induces apoptosis, senescence, and/or autophagy, dep...