Sustained transgene expression in cartilage defects in vivo after transplantation of articular chondrocytes modified by lipid-mediated gene transfer in a gel suspension delivery system.

Background: Genetically modified chondrocytes may be able to modulate articular cartilage repair. To date, transplantation of modified chondrocytes into cartilage defects has been restricted to viral vectors. We tested the hypothesis that a recombinant gene can be delivered to sites of cartilage damage in vivo using chondrocytes transfected by a lipid-mediated gene transfer method.