Novel Gene Therapy Program

When Stephen Brown, Ph.D., began working with the Henry Ford research team that developed gene therapy for cancer patients, not a single white hair could be found in his mustache.

Nearly 25 years later, Dr. Brown sports a distinguished, salt-and-pepper look. This novel program has distinguished itself, too. The team has completed several clinical trials in prostate cancer and is now advancing trials in other forms of cancer.

“Henry Ford clinicians have treated scores of prostate cancer patients with this approach, and the team led by Drs. Svend Freytag, Hans Stricker and Benjamin Movsas has gotten encouraging results,” Dr. Brown says.

Additionally, a recent clinical trial led by David Kwon, M.D., and Farzan Siddiqui, M.D., preliminarily suggests that patients with advanced pancreatic cancers lived longer after receiving an increased dose of a unique virus developed by our team. The results have encouraged the research team to investigate other uses of gene therapy.

“This program is exciting,” says Shyam Nyati, Ph.D., recently recruited to lead the gene therapy program. “No one else is working with the type of virus that we have, and we are incorporating radiation therapy to the program.”

The gene therapy program has thrived for many years with strong support from Dr. Freytag and Henry Ford leaders, and investment from the Wendell W. Anderson Endowed Chair, launched by the late philanthropist Wendell Anderson.

“Gene therapy is a cornerstone radiation oncology program, and we are excited by its potential to offer new hope to patients,” says Indrin Chetty, Ph.D., who holds the Anderson Chair. “This program owes so much to Wendell Anderson and his family. We are profoundly grateful for their generosity and vision.”

How gene therapy works

Our gene therapy approach uses a special virus, engineered and refined over many years by Henry Ford researchers. The virus is injected into patients’ tumors and interferes with the DNA in cancer cells, making them more susceptible to drugs that increase their response to radiation.

The virus was designed to replicate in cancer cells. Part of the virus includes an imaging gene that acts as a homing signal, showing oncologists precisely where to direct radiation therapy. The three- pronged approach of viral injections, drugs and radiation is key to the program’s success.