Proteoglycans on the knee

Baylor College of Medicine researchers have shown that delivering the gene encoding proteoglycan 4 directly to the knee prevented and treated osteoarthritis in mice.¹ GeneQuine Biotherapeutics GmbH has exclusively licensed the findings and is developing a similar gene therapy to treat osteoarthritis in animals and patients.

Proteoglycan 4 (PRG4; HAPO) is a protein secreted by joint cartilage cells that helps synovial fluid dissipate joint strain. Loss-of-function mutations in PRG4 cause early onset osteoarthritis (OA) associated with the rare condition camptodactyly-arthropathy-coxa vara-pericarditis syndrome.² Prg4 knockout leads to early development of OA in mice.^3,4...