Chenzhen Zhang, Tanvi V Pathrikar, Helna M Baby, Jun Li, Hengli Zhang, Andrew Selvadoss, Arina Ovchinnikova, Andreia Ionescu, Susan Chubinskaya, Rachel E Miller, Ambika G Bajpayee
Gene therapy has the potential to facilitate targeted expression of therapeutic proteins to promote cartilage regeneration in osteoarthritis (OA). The dense, avascular, aggrecan-glycosaminoglycan (GAG) rich negatively charged cartilage, however, hinders their transport to reach chondrocytes in effective doses. While viral vector mediated gene delivery has shown promise, concerns over immunogenicity and tumorigenic side-effects persist. To address these issues, this study develops surface-modified cartilage-targeting exosomes as non-viral carriers for gene therapy...
April 12, 2024: Small Methods