Figure 1

Strategy for suicide gene therapy. The aim of suicide gene therapy strategy is to increase the delivery of toxic metabolites to tumor cells and result in efficient cell death. Initially, a gene encoding a prodrug-activating enzyme is delivered by a tumor-targetting viral vector. Subsequent systemic administration of an inactive prodrug results in generation of a toxic metabolite and cell death of the transduced cells and non-trasduced bystander tumor cells (bystander effect) only at the tumor site.