Exploration of CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing as therapy for osteoarthritis

Objectives: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a painful and debilitating disease and it is associated with aberrant upregulation of multiple factors, including matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and nerve growth factor (NGF). In this study, we aimed to use the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, a highly efficient gene-editing tool, to study whether the ablation of OA-associated genes has OA-modifying effects.

Methods: We performed intra-articular injection of adeno-associated virus, which expressed CRISPR/Cas9 components to target each of the genes encoding MMP13, IL-1β and NGF, in a surgically induced OA mouse model. We also tested triple ablations of NGF, MMP13 and IL-1β.

Results: Loss-of-function of NGF palliates pain but worsens joint damage in the surgically induced OA model. Ablation of MMP13 or IL-1β reduces the expression of cartilage-degrading enzymes and attenuates structural deterioration. Targeting both MMP13 and IL-1β significantly mitigates the adverse effects of NGF blockade on the joints.

Conclusions: CRISPR-mediated ablation of NGF alleviates OA pain, and deletion of MMP13-1β or IL-1β attenuates structural damage in a post-traumatic OA model. Multiplex ablations of NGF, MMP13 and IL-1β provide benefits on both pain management and joint structure maintenance. Our results suggest that CRISPR-based gene editing is useful for the identification of promising drug targets and the development of feasible therapeutic strategies for OA treatment.