Recent work on gene therapies for autoimmune disease has continued to provide insight into the pathogenesis of autoimmunity. Reliable, effective and targeted gene therapy applications have been achieved by using transduced dendritic cells and antigen-specific T cells as delivery vehicles. Bioluminescence imaging has been implemented to visualize cell trafficking and homing in vivo. As a first step into human gene therapy, a phase I clinical trial for assessing the feasibility and safety of gene transfer has been completed in a group of rheumatoid arthritis patients.