title: Menisci are efficiently transduced by recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Meniscal tears remain an unsolved problem in sports medicine. Gene transfer is a potential approach to enhancing meniscal repair. Recombinant adeno-associated virus is a method of gene transfer that has advantages over previously used approaches to this problem.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Direct gene transfer to meniscal cells can be accomplished using recombinant adeno-associated virus in vitro and in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled laboratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recombinant adeno-associated viruses containing the reporter gene lacZ were tested for their ability to achieve gene transfer into lapine and human meniscal cells in vitro and into lapine meniscal defects in vivo. Results were assessed by detecting beta-galactosidase, the enzyme encoded by the lacZ gene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maximal efficiency of gene transfer was 81.6% +/- 6.6% for lapine and 87.2% +/- 14.8% for human meniscal cells in vitro. Expression of the transferred gene continued for the 28-day duration of the study. When the recombinant adeno-associated virus vector was injected into meniscal tears in a lapine meniscal tear model, transgene expression continued in meniscal cells adjacent to the tear for at least 20 days in vivo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data suggest that recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors can directly and efficiently transfer and stably express foreign genes in isolated lapine and human meniscal cells in vitro and in lapine meniscal defects in vivo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This direct gene transfer approach may form a basis for improved treatments of meniscal tears.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Experimental Orthopaedics, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany. hmad@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Madry
authors.forename: Magali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cucchiarini
authors.forename: Gunter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kaul
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kohn
authors.forename: Ernest F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Terwilliger
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Trippel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D000229:Dependovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007763:Lac Operon; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011817:Rabbits; D014161:Transduction, Genetic; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001616:beta-Galactosidase