Cancer Immunotherapy - Our gene therapy science to treat cancer We develop a gene transfer strategy into autologous hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) to target interferon-α expression to tumor-infiltrating monocytes/macrophages. An HIV-derived and genetically disabled viral vector - Lentivirus - delivers the gene into the HSPCs. Interferon is a protein usually produced by the body in response to infections that also exhibits a powerful anti-tumor activity. However, the clinical use of interferon as a drug has been limited by its high toxicity. Thanks to our innovative therapy, using a combination of transcriptional and microRNA-mediated control, tumor-infiltrating monocytes/macrophages become capable to selectively express interferon limited to the tumor area, thus reducing its toxicity. Based on these mechanisms, a population of tumor-infiltrating monocytes/macrophages, TIE2-expressing monocytes (TEMs), are armed with a specific drug.