| Summary: | Gene therapy is the use of DNA as an agent to treat genetic disorders. Gene therapy aims at the insertion of a therapeutic gene into the cells of a patient for the correction of an inborn error of metabolism, to alter or repair an acquired genetic abnormality. Today, most of the gene therapy studies are aimed at cancer and hereditary diseases which are linked to genetic defects. Cancer usually occurs due to the production of multiple mutations in a single cell which cause it to proliferate out of control. Several methods such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy have been used widely to treat cancers, but recurrence is common in approximately one third of patients. To improve the treatment modality and to increase the survival rate, gene therapy can be used as an adjunct to other therapies for cancer patients. The purpose of this article is to review the concepts and technique, with an insight into the current research on its applications in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).
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