Researchers are always looking for new ways to combat cancer. Gene therapy, still in the early research stages, is showing some promise in the treatment of certain types of brain tumors. In gene therapy, scientists insert a new gene into specific cancer cells. Since genes direct the body’s cells to produce proteins and other vital substances, the gene inserted into the brain tumor could behave in one of several ways:

• It could make the tumor sensitive to certain drugs.
  
• It could program the cancerous cells to self-destruct.
  
• It could instruct the cells to make substances that slow tumor growth.