Immuno-Gene Therapies in Oncology: A New Era Beyond Chemotherapy

Abstract

The field of oncology is undergoing a revolution, and it is transforming away from the conventional limits of chemotherapy into more targeted, durable, and patient-specific approaches. This commentary explores the compelling case for elevating cancer immuno-gene therapies to the forefront of cancer treatment. By leveraging the body's immune system and gene-editing technologies, these therapies are offering a paradigm shift-one that battles cancer at its gene and immunologic root rather than targeting merely the symptoms or halting cell growth. We scrutinize critically the drawbacks of chemotherapy, such as toxicity, non-specificity, and high relapse potential, against the progress made with CAR-T cell therapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccine, and genetically modified immune cells. The backdrop is against which developments in CRISPR and synthetic biology are making better and targeted treatments less toxic. In spite of challenges like immense expense, regulatory challenges, and the intricacy of delivery mechanisms, the clinical and scientific impetus behind immuno-gene therapies is overwhelming. This paper argues that these technologies are not add-ons to conventional therapies but the building blocks of future oncology research. Focusing on the development of cancer immuno-gene therapies, the discipline can get closer to the age-old vision of curative, patien.t-specific cancer therapy.