Dear Colleagues,

The first clinical trial in gene therapy was performed in 1990 at the National Institutes of Health. Subsequently, many researchers have worked tirelessly to translate basic research in gene therapy into clinical trials. Unfortunately, early unfavorable events, including the death of Jesse Gelsinger and the leukemias that developed in children treated for severe combined immunodeficiency disease, have received the most press. It is now time for the world to understand that substantial progress is being made in the field. At this meeting we will highlight the basic science and the clinical successes that cancer gene therapy is beginning to enjoy.

The International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy of Cancer is focused on developing and integrating practioners of gene therapy throughout the world. This meeting in China is incredibly exciting because China is the first Country to have approved a gene medicine, Gendicine, an adenovirus for treatment of cancer, which is produced and marketed by Shenzhen SiBiono GeneTech, Co., Ltd.

We encourage all scientists to submit abstracts in the session topics of their choice. The deadline for abstract submission is September 30, 2005. This conference will be of interest to clinical oncologists, molecular biologists, virologists, tumor immunologists, and other interested health professionals working in this developing field. This conference is being held in the high tech city of Shenzhen, China, and I urge you all to involve yourself in what will be a cutting edge scientific meeting in the field of gene therapy.

Sincerely yours,

James Norris, MD
President
ISCGT