Gene Therapy for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis: Advances and Prospective

Osteoarthritis affects some joints in the body, including the hand's distal interphalangeal joints, knees, and hips. The complex disease known as degenerative osteoarthritis affects every joint in the body. Due to its limited influence on weight-bearing joints and absence of substantial extra-articular symptoms, osteoarthritis is well-suited for targeted gene therapy within the affected joints. The article discusses the field's history, the genes utilised, the techniques of gene delivery (direct vs. indirect), and the most prevalent expression vectors (viral vs. non-viral). A comprehensive literature review was conducted using reputable databases, including Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The study focused on research published over the past decade to ensure the inclusion of recent advancements. This article explores a range of gene therapy strategies developed for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Emphasis was placed on identifying innovative and clinically relevant approaches that have emerged in recent years. By reviewing the most current data, this work aims to provide a detailed overview of the evolving landscape of gene therapy as a potential therapeutic avenue for managing and possibly reversing osteoarthritis symptoms and progression. The goal of gene therapy for osteoarthritis (OA) is to repair damaged cartilage by introducing gene-based therapeutic agents to the affected area in a regulated, site-specific, long-term manner. The synovium and cartilage are two possible intra- articular sites for gene transfer. The most advanced gene therapy method for osteoarthritis is the local gene transfer to synovium technique. IL-1 is a key modulator of cartilage loss in OA, and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) gene transfer is effective in treating OA in three animal models.