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To explore the role that implanted mesenchymal stem cells may play in tissue repair or regeneration of the injured joint, by delivery of an autologous preparation of stem cells to caprine knee joints following induction of osteoarthritis (OA). Adult stem cells were isolated from caprine bone marrow, expanded in culture, and transduced to express green fluorescent protein. OA was induced unilaterally in the knee joint of donor animals by complete excision of the medial meniscus and resection of the anterior cruciate ligament. After 6 weeks, a single dose of 10 million autologous cells suspended in a dilute solution of sodium hyaluronan was delivered to the injured knee by direct intraarticular injection. Control animals received sodium hyaluronan alone. In cell-treated joints, there was evidence of marked regeneration of the medial meniscus, and implanted cells were detected in the newly formed tissue. Degeneration of the articular cartilage, osteophytic remodeling, and subchondral sclerosis were reduced in cell-treated joints compared with joints treated with vehicle alone without cells. There was no evidence of repair of the ligament in any of the joints. Local delivery of adult mesenchymal stem cells to injured joints stimulates regeneration of meniscal tissue and retards the progressive destruction normally seen in this model of OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the efficacy of herpes simplex virus vector-mediated gene transfer of erythropoietin in preventing neuropathy in mouse model of streptozotocin-diabetes. A replication-incompetent herpes simplex virus vector with erythropoietin under the control of the human cytomegalovirus promoter (vector DHEPO) was constructed. DHEPO expressed and released erythropoietin from primary dorsal root ganglion neurons in vitro, and following subcutaneous inoculation in the foot, expressed erythropoietin in dorsal root ganglion neurons in vivo. At 2 weeks after induction of diabetes, subcutaneous inoculation of erythropoietin prevented the reduction in sensory nerve amplitude characteristic of diabetic neuropathy measured 4 weeks later, preserved autonomic function measured by pilocarpine-induced sweating, and prevented the loss of nerve fibres in the skin and reduction of neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide in the dorsal horn of spinal cord of the diabetic mice. We further investigated whether vector-mediated local expression of erythropoietin in dorsal root ganglion neurons can protect in vivo as well as in vitro hyperglycemia-induced axonal degeneration. Our findings show that the AKT/GSK-3β dependent pathway plays an important role in mediating the protection of erythropoietin against diabetic neuropathy. Herpes simplex virus-mediated transfer of erythropoietin to dorsal root ganglia may prove useful in treatment of diabetic neuropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]