May 29, 2013

Gene Therapies for Regenerative Surgery Are Getting Closer, Says Review in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery



Experimental genetic techniques may one day provide plastic and reconstructive surgeons with an invaluable tool—the ability to promote growth of the patient's own tissues for reconstructive surgery.  A review of recent progress toward developing effective gene therapies for use in "regenerative surgery" appears in the June issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

Over the past ten years, researchers have developed several promising gene therapy techniques to grow skin, bone and other tissues for reconstructive surgery.  But they still face many challenges in developing gene-based approaches that can make the leap from the research lab to the operating room, according to the review by Dr. Giorgio Giatsidis and colleagues of Padua University Hospital, Italy.