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Gene Therapy in Reconstructive and Regenerative Surgery pp 1–9Cite as

Principles of Gene Therapy in Reconstructive and Regenerative Surgery

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Abstract

In November 2017, a group of investigators from Germany and Italy, led by Michele De Luca, published on Nature a case report on the use of tissue-engineered, genetically-modified keratinocyte sheets, to regenerate the entire epidermis of a pediatric patient affected by junctional epidermolysis bullosa [1]. The gene therapy-edited cells showed a sustained survival in vivo (>21 months), offering the possibility of a cure where other conventional therapies are lacking or have failed. This groundbreaking report highlights the enormous progresses that the field of gene therapy has been achieving over the last few years and its increasing potential to be translated from a laboratory bench to the clinical care of patients. In reconstructive and regenerative surgery, gene therapies have been the focus of an increasing interest for the last two decades, either as stand-alone therapeutic strategies or as adjuvant methods to boost the effectiveness of other treatments (e.g., stem cells therapies or tissue engineered products) [2, 3]. Virtually every tissue that is routinely repaired by reconstructive and regenerative surgeries can be further enhanced by gene therapies. These include the skin, bones, tendons and fascias, nerves, muscles, soft tissues, and more.

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  1. Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Giorgio Giatsidis

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  1. Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Giorgio Giatsidis

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Giatsidis, G. (2018). Principles of Gene Therapy in Reconstructive and Regenerative Surgery. In: Giatsidis, G. (eds) Gene Therapy in Reconstructive and Regenerative Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78957-6_1

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