Page 365 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse
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work expected from it.
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Figure 8.8 Damaged cartilage fragments can be removed during arthroscopy
Gene therapy
With this type of therapy, the horse’s genetic code is manipulated so less of the destructive
chemicals that cause cartilage breakdown are produced, together with more of the
components of healthy cartilage. There are two ways of introducing the new genes:
• a virus containing the therapeutic genes can be injected directly into the joint
• a biopsy of the synovial membrane is taken and the cells are infected with a virus
containing the new genes; these are grown in the laboratory and then re-introduced into
the joint.
This research is still very new and long-term studies need to be carried out to see if this
genetic modification has any harmful effects on the horse in the long term.
