Gene therapy in animal models of rheumatoid arthritis: are we ready for the patients?

Table 1 Increased transduction of synovial fibroblasts with recombinant adenoviruses with RGF-modified fibre knobs

	Membrane receptors (relative mRNA expression in relation to GAPDH)		Transduction efficiency (luciferase activity of Ad.Luc.RGD over Ad.Luc)
Cell type	CAR	α_v Integrin
Chondrocyte	+12	+6	0.8×
Macrophage	ND	+6	21×
Fibroblast	ND	+3	62×

Different cell types (immortalized murine chondrocyte cell line [H1], RAW 264,7 macrophage cell line, and murine synovial fibroblast cell line [ROG]) were infected with either recombinant Ad.Luc or Ad.Luc.RGD at a MOI of 100. The luciferase (Luc) gene was under the control of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter, and Luc activity was measured in cell extracts taken 24 hours after infection. Basal mRNA levels of Coxsackie and adenovirus receptor (CAR), α_v integrin, and the housekeeping gene glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) were determined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Transduction efficiency is presented as the ratio of the modified virus as compared with the wild-type adenovirus. ND, not detectable. (Viruses kindly provided by Curiel D, Gene Therapy Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.)

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