Background
The
first human gene therapy studies at an academic medical center
were initiated at the University of Michigan, the leading medical
center in numbers of clinical studies performed and papers published.
In our cancer gene therapy protocol, DNA was directly administered
to humans for the first time. Continuation of this work has resulted
in the treatment of more patients than all other cancer gene therapy
programs in the U.S. combined and initiation of the first Phase
II protocol in cancer.
Our efforts in gene therapy for AIDS have also been pioneering,
and the first NIH/RAC approved antiviral gene therapy study was
conducted at the Medical Center.
These
efforts have been successful because of a variety of fruitful
and collegial interactions among many laboratories, basic scientists
and clinicians.
Current
Protocols
Of
the numerous gene therapy protocols conducted at the University
of Michigan, four are highlighted below.
GCRC
Protocol 1466: Molecular Synorectomy by in vivo Gene
Transfer
Principal
Investigator: Blake Roessler, M.D.
GCRC
Protocol 1606: Phase I Trial of Adenovirus Mediated
Wild Type p53 Gene Therapy for Malignant Glioma
Principal
Investigator: Larry Junck, M.D.
Additional
protocol abstracts can be found at the General Clinical Research
Center web site by selecting: Current Research, then GCRC Protocols,
keyword Gene Therapy. http://www.med.umich.edu/gcrc/
