Gene Transfer Strategies to Promote Chondrogenesis and Cartilage Regeneration

Gene transfer has been used experimentally to promote chondrogenesis and cartilage regeneration. While it is controversial to apply gene therapy for nonlethal conditions such as cartilage defect, there is a possibility that the transfer of therapeutic transgenes may dramatically increase the effectiveness of cell therapy and reduce the quantity of cells that are needed to regenerate cartilage. Single or combination of growth factors and transcription factors has been transferred to mesenchymal stem cells or articular chondrocytes using both nonviral and viral approaches. The current challenge for the clinical applications of genetically modified cells is ensuring the safety of gene therapy while guaranteeing effectiveness. Viral gene delivery methods have been mainstays currently with enhanced safety features being recently refined. On the other hand, efficiency has been greatly improved in nonviral delivery. This review summarizes the history and recent update on the gene transfer to enhance chondrogenesis from stem cells or articular chondrocytes.