Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a disease that significantly decreases the quality of life due to joint deformation and pain caused by degeneration of articular cartilage. Since the degeneration of cartilage is irreversible, intervention from an early stage and control throughout life is important for OA treatment. For the treatment of early OA, the development of a disease-modifying osteoarthritis drug (DMOAD) for intra-articular (IA) injection, which is attracting attention as a point-of-care therapy, is desired. In recent years, the molecular mechanisms involved in OA progression have been clarified while new types of drug development methods based on gene sequences have been established. In addition to conventional chemical compounds and protein therapeutics, the development of DMOAD from the new modalities such as gene therapy and oligonucleotide therapeutics is accelerating. In this review, we have summarized the current status and challenges of DMOAD for IA injection, especially for protein therapeutics, gene therapy, and oligonucleotide therapeutics.
Keywords: disease-modifying osteoarthritis drug; gene therapy; oligonucleotide therapeutics.