The gene therapy landscape for osteoarthritis

Christopher Evans, PhD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, summarizes the current research landscape for gene therapy in osteoarthritis (OA) and the rationale behind the use of gene therapy to deliver genes encoding anti-arthritic products to the joint. Dr Evans highlights two ongoing Phase I studies involving vector-based gene delivery in OA and a Phase III study (NCT03203330) evaluating the ex vivo delivery of allogeneic chondrocytes transduced with transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) for the treatment of knee OA. Challenges in developing gene therapies for OA include cost, as well as reluctancy in the field around utilizing a gene therapy for a non-genetic condition. This interview took place during the American Society for Cell & Gene Therapy 24th Annual Meeting 2021.