title: Potential applications of gene therapy to the treatment of intervertebral disc disorders.
abstract: Gene therapy involves the transfer of genes to cells such that the recipient cells express these genes and thereby synthesize the ribonucleic acid and protein that they encode. Recent investigations suggest that gene therapy may have potential applications in the treatment of intervertebral disc disorders, particularly those associated with disc degeneration. The successful in vivo transfer of therapeutic genes to target cells within the intervertebral disc in clinically relevant animal models is one example of the rapid progress that is being made. The purpose of the current review is to address several important technical issues, including choice of vectors and gene delivery strategy and the characteristics of the target tissues, which are relevant to future clinical applications of gene therapy for the treatment of intervertebral disc disorders. It already is apparent from the growing literature that gene therapy has the potential of becoming a valuable clinical treatment mode for intervertebral disc disorders in the twenty-first century.
authors.affiliation: Musculoskeletal Research Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Gilbertson
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Robbins
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae; D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D017690:Cell Transplantation; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc; D012190:Retroviridae; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta