Moglichkeiten der Gentherapie bei traumatischen und degenerativen Gelenklasionen. Aktueller Stand experimenteller und erster klinischer Anwendungen

Soft tissue injuries often represent the greatest clinical problem. Not only do many of the most frequently injured tissues, such as the cruciate ligaments and articular cartilage, have very limited capabilities for spontaneous repair, but they also respond poorly to surgical or non-surgical intervention. In this article we try to define the role of growth factors in these conditions and to outline concepts for future treatment based upon modulation of the native repair response. We suggest that gene transfer could improve the management of such injuries, particularly when used as vehicles for the targetted delivery of growth factors.