Quantitative imaging of cartilage and bone for functional assessment of gene therapy approaches in experimental arthritis

Abstract

Anti-inflammatory gene therapy can inhibit inflammation driven by TNFα in experimental models of rheumatoid arthritis. However, assessment of the therapeutic effect on cartilage and bone quality is either missing or unsatisfactory. A multimodal imaging approach, using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and micro-computed tomography (μCT), was used for gathering 3D quantitative image data on diseased and treated murine joints. As proof of concept, the efficacy of anti-TNF-based gene therapy was assessed, comparing imaging techniques with classical investigations. SCID mice knees were injected with human synoviocytes overexpressing TNFα. Two days later, electric pulse-mediated DNA trans..