Suicide genes are a safety strategy for cell-based therapies. A drug-inducible 'switch' activates a gene whose product kills the cells. Suicide mechanisms include the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene and Caspase-9. The suicide system is stably incorporated into the cell's genome. It can be activated to kill off the cells in the event of a severe side-effect linked to the genetically engineered cells.
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