PROSTATE CANCER 0889-8588/01 zy $15.00 + z .OO PROSTATE CANCER GENE THERAPY Fernando A. Ferrer, MD, and Ronald Rodriguez, MD, PhD The death of a patient at the University of Pennsylvannia gene therapy trial for ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency led to an out- pouring of interest regarding the efficacy and potential hazards of gene therapy. This unfortunate outcome prompted internal and external re- views of the strategies and potential toxicities of adenoviral-based gene therapy as well as gene therapy as a whole. The development of gene therapy treatments largely will profit from this tragedy, however, be- cause these inquiries will strengthen the rigor of product development and risk assessment. The possibility that through genetic manipulation the course of diseases, such as prostate cancer, can be altered has cap- tured the imagination of scientists and the lay public. Regardless of the obstacles and technical difficulties to be overcome, ultimately molecular medicine and gene therapy will be a reality in the treatment of human disease. As a consequence, medical practitioners need to understand the role for gene therapy in the treatment of urologic malignancy so that they may answer patients’ questions and refer interested, eligible pa- tients to clinical trials. zyxw EX VlVO GENE THERAPY (IMMUNOTHERAPY) Tumor Immunology zyxwvu Gene therapy, broadly defined, refers to the use of genetic materials in the treatment of human disease. Such manipulation of genetic materi- From The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Balti- more, Maryland HEMATOLOGY/ONCOLOGY CLINICS OF NORTH AMERICA VOLUME 15 NUMBER zyxwvuts 3 JUNE 2001 zyxwvu 497