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Abstract
The concept of using gene transfer strategies for cartilage repair originates from the idea of transferring genes encoding therapeutic factors into the repair tissue, resulting in a temporarily and spatially defined delivery of therapeutic molecules to sites of cartilage damage. This review focuses on the potential benefits of using gene therapy approaches for the repair of articular cartilage and meniscal fibrocartilage, including articular cartilage defects resulting from acute trauma, osteochondritis dissecans, osteonecrosis, and osteoarthritis. Possible applications for meniscal repair comprise meniscal lesions, meniscal sutures, and meniscal transplantation. Recent studies in both small and large animal models have demonstrated the applicability of gene-based approaches for cartilage repair. Chondrogenic pathways were stimulated in the repair tissue and in osteoarthritic cartilage using genes for polypeptide growth factors and transcription factors. Although encouraging data have been generated, a successful translation of gene therapy for cartilage repair will require an ongoing combined effort of orthopedic surgeons and of basic scientists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henning Madry
- Saarland University, Homburg, Germany,Henning Madry, Saarland University, Kirrbergerstrasse 1, Homburg, 66424 Germany
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2
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Abstract
Orthopedic trauma care and fracture management have advanced significantly over the last 50 years. New developments in the biology and biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system, fixation devices, and soft tissue management have greatly influenced our ability to care for musculoskeletal injuries. Many therapies and treatment modalities have the potential to transform future orthopedic treatment by decreasing invasive procedures and providing shorter healing times. Promising results in experimental models have led to an increase in clinical application of these therapies in human subjects. However, for many modalities, precise clinical indications, timing, dosage, and mode of action still need to be clearly defined. In order to further develop fracture management strategies, predict outcomes and improve clinical application of newer technologies, further research studies are needed. Together with evolving new therapies, the strategies to improve fracture care should focus on cost effectiveness. This is a great opportunity for the global orthopedic community, in association with other stakeholders, to address the many barriers to the delivery of safe, timely, and effective care for patients with musculoskeletal injuries in developing countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Mathew
- Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada and AO Clinical Investigation, Zurich, Switzerland,Address for correspondence: Dr. George Mathew, Research Fellow, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, McMaster University. E-mail:
| | - Beate P Hanson
- Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada and AO Clinical Investigation, Zurich, Switzerland
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Novicoff WM, Manaswi A, Hogan MV, Brubaker SM, Mihalko WM, Saleh KJ. Critical analysis of the evidence for current technologies in bone-healing and repair. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2008; 90 Suppl 1:85-91. [PMID: 18292362 DOI: 10.2106/jbjs.g.01521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Substances that enhance fracture-healing and bone regeneration have valuable clinical application and merit future research. Advances in these technologies will enhance our ability to heal fractures in a more effective and expedient manner. This review provides a brief description of the different techniques and technologies and their respective clinical utility. This paper also reviews the available literature on gene therapy, tissue engineering, growth factors, osteoconductive agents, and physical forces and assesses the evidence regarding the current status of these techniques of healing and regenerating bone. Only twenty-seven articles met our guidelines for studies containing Level-I evidence. We were able to determine that atrophic nonunions and pseudarthrosis led to poorer outcomes, and the results were uniformly poor irrespective of the technique used. Although the literature contains a large number of studies on the effects of different agents and modalities on bone repair and healing, it still is not clear how these agents work or in what circumstances they should be used. Many of the treatment modalities of interest are still at an experimental stage, so good evidence to support clinical practice is lacking. Additional multicenter, prospective randomized studies are needed to define the indications, specifications, dosage, limitations, and contraindications in the treatment of nonunions. Studies are also needed to address the full clinical feasibility of the role of each modality in fracture-healing and repair.
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Adriaansen J, Vervoordeldonk MJ, Vanderbyl S, de Jong G, Tak PP. A novel approach for gene therapy: engraftment of fibroblasts containing the artificial chromosome expression system at the site of inflammation. J Gene Med 2006; 8:63-71. [PMID: 16038012 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by inflammation of the synovial tissue. High systemic doses are necessary to achieve therapeutic levels of anti-rheumatic drugs in the joints. Gene transfer might provide a more efficient delivery system for genes encoding therapeutic proteins. METHODS The artificial chromosome expression system (ACE System) is a new non-integrating, non-viral gene expression system which functions like a natural chromosome. This technology offers advantages over current expression systems because it allows stable and predictable expression of proteins encoded by single or multiple genes over long periods of time. We are developing ex vivo gene therapy using murine artificial chromosomes containing a reporter gene (LacZ and red fluorescent protein (RFP)) for local delivery of genes in rats with adjuvant arthritis (AA). RESULTS The delivery of the intact ACE System into rat fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) and rat skin fibroblasts (RSF) was detected within 24 to 48 h post-transfection. After growing cells under selection, clones expressing LacZ and RFP were identified. Furthermore, we investigated the feasibility of local delivery of a reporter gene to the joints of rats with AA by ex vivo gene therapy. This resulted in engraftment of the injected cells in the synovial tissue microarchitecture and expression of the reporter gene. CONCLUSIONS This work demonstrates the potential feasibility of treating arthritis and other inflammatory diseases using fibroblasts containing the ACE System as a non-viral vector for gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janik Adriaansen
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Adriaansen J, Vervoordeldonk MJBM, Tak PP. Gene therapy as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: innovative vectors and therapeutic genes. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2006; 45:656-68. [PMID: 16510530 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/kel047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, significant progress has been made in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In addition to conventional therapy, novel biologicals targeting tumour necrosis factor-alpha have successfully entered the clinic. However, the majority of the patients still has some actively inflamed joints and some patients suffer from side-effects associated with the high systemic dosages needed to achieve therapeutic levels in the joints. In addition, due to of the short half-life of these proteins there is a need for continuous, multiple injections of the recombinant protein. An alternative approach might be the use of gene transfer to deliver therapeutic genes locally at the site of inflammation. Several viral and non-viral vectors are being used in animal models of RA. The first gene therapy trials for RA have already entered the clinic. New vectors inducing long-term and regulated gene expression in specific tissue are under development, resulting in more efficient gene transfer, for example by using distinct serotypes of viral vectors such as adeno-associated virus. This review gives an overview of some promising vectors used in RA research. Furthermore, several therapeutic genes are discussed that could be used for gene therapy in RA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Adriaansen
- Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Kok MR, Yamano S, Lodde BM, Wang J, Couwenhoven RI, Yakar S, Voutetakis A, Leroith D, Schmidt M, Afione S, Pillemer SR, Tsutsui MT, Tak PP, Chiorini JA, Baum BJ. Local adeno-associated virus-mediated interleukin 10 gene transfer has disease-modifying effects in a murine model of Sjögren's syndrome. Hum Gene Ther 2004; 14:1605-18. [PMID: 14633403 DOI: 10.1089/104303403322542257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Female nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice develop spontaneous autoimmune sialadenitis and loss of salivary flow, and are a widely used model of Sjögren's syndrome. We examined the feasibility of local salivary gland immunomodulatory gene delivery to alter these sequelae in NOD mice. We constructed recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors encoding either human interleukin 10 (rAAVhIL-10) or beta-galactosidase (rAAVLacZ, control vector). Mice received rAAVhIL-10 or rAAVLacZ by retrograde submandibular ductal instillation either at age 8 weeks (early, before onset of sialadenitis), or at 16 weeks (late, after onset of sialadenitis). As a systemic treatment control, separate mice received intramuscular delivery of rAAVhIL-10 at each time point. Both submandibular and intramuscular delivery of vector led to low circulating levels of hIL-10. After submandibular administration of rAAVhIL-10, salivary flow rates at 20 weeks for both the early and late treatment groups were significantly higher than for both rAAVLacZ-administered and untreated mice. Systemic delivery of rAAVhIL-10 led to improved salivary flow in the late treatment group. Inflammatory infiltrates in submandibular glands, however, were significantly reduced only in mice receiving rAAVhIL-10 locally in the salivary gland compared with mice receiving this vector intramuscularly, or rAAVLacZ or no treatment. In addition, after submandibular rAAVhIL-10 delivery, NOD mice exhibited significantly lower blood glucose, and higher serum insulin, levels than all other groups, indicating some systemic benefit of this treatment. These studies show that expression of hIL-10 by rAAV vectors can have disease-modifying effects in the salivary glands of NOD mice, and suggest that local immunomodulatory gene transfer may be useful for managing the salivary gland pathology in Sjögren's syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc R Kok
- Gene Therapy and Therapeutics Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Kok MR, Baum BJ, Tak PP, Pillemer SR. Use of localised gene transfer to develop new treatment strategies for the salivary component of Sjögren's syndrome. Ann Rheum Dis 2003; 62:1038-46. [PMID: 14583564 PMCID: PMC1754372 DOI: 10.1136/ard.62.11.1038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Effective treatment for Sjögren's syndrome (SS) might be developed locally by introducing genes encoding cytokines, which are potentially anti-inflammatory, or by introducing a cDNA encoding a soluble form of a key cytokine receptor, which can act as an antagonist and decrease the availability of certain cytokines, such as soluble tumour necrosis factor alpha receptors. Currently, the preferred choice of viral vector for immunomodulatory gene transfer is recombinant adeno-associated virus. The use of gene transfer to help determine the pathophysiology and to alter the course of the SS-like disease in the NOD mouse model can ultimately lead to the development of new treatments for managing the salivary component in patients with SS.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Kok
- Gene Therapy and Therapeutics Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
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Grossin L, Cournil-Henrionnet C, Mir LM, Liagre B, Dumas D, Etienne S, Guingamp C, Netter P, Gillet P. Direct gene transfer into rat articular cartilage by in vivo electroporation. FASEB J 2003; 17:829-35. [PMID: 12724342 DOI: 10.1096/fj.02-0518com] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
To establish a system for efficient direct in vivo gene targeting into rat joint, we have evaluated a strategy of gene transfer by means of the delivery of external electric pulses (EP) to the knee after intra-articular injection of a reporter gene (GFP). Rats were killed at various times after the electro gene-therapy to analyze GFP gene expression by immunohistochemistry. GFP staining was detected in the superficial, middle, and deep zones of the patellar cartilage at days 2 and 9, and thereafter only in the deep zone (months 1 and 2). The average percentage of GFP-positive cells was estimated at 30% both one and 2 months after the gene transfer. Moreover, no pathologic change caused by the EP was detected in the cartilage. The level and stability of the long-term GFP expression found in this study demonstrate the feasibility of a treatment of joint disorders (inflammatory or degenerative, focal or diffuse) using electric gene transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Grossin
- Unité Mixte de Recherches 7561, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Université Henri Poincaré Nancy 1, Faculté de Médecine, Avenue de la Forêt de Haye, BP184, F-54505 Vandoeuvre lès Nancy, France
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