Language

English

Publication Date

7-28-2026

Journal

bioRxiv

DOI

10.64898/2026.07.27.740924

PMID

42619767

PMCID

PMC13483938

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

7-28-2026

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Pre-Print

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of chronic pain and disability, which lacks disease-modifying treatment. Given the complex multi-tissue and multifactorial drivers behind disease progression, effective treatments will require simultaneously targeting several mechanisms underlying joint degeneration and pain. Here, we developed and evaluated a combinatorial gene therapy, consisting of a high-capacity adenoviral vector carrying two therapeutic genes to target distinct pathological mechanisms: inflammation (IL-1Ra) and chondrocyte health (PRG4). Intra-articular delivery of this treatment improved functional, structural, and pain outcomes in murine and equine osteoarthritis models. In addition, treatment normalized inflammatory environments in joint tissues, as well as in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) known to harbor joint-innervating sensory neurons. Moreover, gene therapy reversed OA-induced molecular signatures of neural hyperexcitability, suggesting amelioration of peripheral sensitization. Collectively, these findings support combinatorial gene therapy as a promising treatment for osteoarthritis, while identifying neuroinflammatory signatures for correction of disease progression and pain.

One sentence summary: A single intra-articular injection of a combinatorial gene therapy slows OA progression and reduces pain in small and large animal models.

Published Open-Access

yes

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