Gene therapy

Gene delivery to bone.

"Recombinant vectors derived from adenovirus, retrovirus and lentivirus, as well as non-viral vectors, have been used for [gene delivery]. Both ex vivo and in vivo strategies, including gene-activated matrices, have been explored. Ex vivo delivery has often employed mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), partly because of their ability to differentiate into osteoblasts. MSCs also have the potential to home to bone after systemic administration."

"Successful gene therapy requires vectors that deliver transgenes to the nuclei of target cells in an efficient manner that ensures adequate levels and duration of transgene expression. The therapeutic transgene product may be a protein or non-coding RNA."

"Viruses are frequently used as the basis for vectors because they naturally transfer their genetic material very efficiently into the cells they infect. For gene therapy, the viral genome is modified to remove sequences that contribute to pathogenicity and, in most cases, viral replication without eliminating infectivity."<-so we could remove height decreasing genes.

"Therapeutic genes, usually in the form of their cDNA equivalents, are cloned into the modified viral genome to produce a recombinant, viral vector. Their experimental use for gene delivery to bone includes vectors derived from oncoretroviruses (often referred to just as retroviruses), lentiviruses (also members of the retrovirus family), adenovirus, and adeno-associated virus (AAV)."

"Homing to bone seems to require expression of CXCR4"

"Clinical application of gene transfer to bone is not yet on the near horizon"

"In this case, the route to the clinic is less likely to be retarded by science and technology, than by funding and regulatory issues."<-Maybe a non-US country can be used.