Gene Therapy for Lung Diseases

Gene therapy is under development for a variety of lung disease, both those caused by single gene defects, such as cystic fibrosis and α(1)-antitrypsin deficiency, and multifactorial diseases such as cancer, asthma, lung fibrosis, and ARDS. Both viral and nonviral approaches have been explored, the major limitation to the former being the inability to repeatedly administer, which renders this approach perhaps more applicable to conditions requiring single administration, such as cancer. Progress in development and clinical trials in each of these diseases is reviewed, together with some potential newer approaches for the future.