ABSTRACT
Recombinant adenovirus is rendered replication-defective while retaining the capacity for replication under controlled circumstances by exploiting the knowledge that some viral genes necessary for new viral synthesis can be deleted from the viral genome and supplied in trans. Despite the variety of potential disease states approachable by gene therapy methodologies, diseases of the lung have to date represented a disproportionately large fraction of the approved human gene therapy protocols. Lung cancer is the major lethal cancer in both men and women; its incidence is increasing, and over the past two decades overall mortality from this disease has only minimally improved. Airway access offers a means to directly approach both conducting airway and lung parenchyma, and the dual vascular supply of the lung offers unique opportunities to achieve gene delivery via the vascular route. The chronic administration of human derived plasma also raises risks related to transmission of blood-born infectious agents.
