Orthopaedic gene therapy using recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors

Use of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors is increasingly gaining popularity in gene therapy because of their desirable properties, including lack of pathogenicity, efficient transduction of dividing and non-dividing cells, and sustained maintenance of the viral genome. It is these features of rAAV vectors that made them the focus for gene-based therapy of skeletal tissue regeneration. This review outlines the biological characteristics of adeno-associated virus (AAV), states the biological processing as well as current advances of rAAV vectors, and describes the recent achievements of their applications in orthopaedic and craniofacial surgery.