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Editorial Open Access
Bioceramics Development
and Applications
Daculsi, Bioceram Dev Appl 2013, 3:1
http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2090-5025.1000e101
Volume 3 • Issue 1 • 1000e101
Bioceram Dev Appl
ISSN: 2090-5025 BDA, an open access journal
GAMBA European Project (Gene Activated Matrices for Bone and Cartilage
Regeneration in Arthritis)
Guy Daculsi*
LIOAD Inserm, University of Nantes UMR U791, Faculty of Dental Surgery, Pl A. Ricordeau, 44042 Nantes cedex, France
*Corresponding author: Guy Daculsi, LIOAD Inserm, University of Nantes UMR
U791, Faculty of Dental Surgery, Pl A. Ricordeau, 44042 Nantes cedex, France,
Tel : 33 (0) 240 41 29 15; E-mail: guy.daculsi@univ-nantes.fr
Received July 24, 2013; Accepted August 06, 2013; Published October 04, 2013
Citation: Daculsi G (2013) GAMBA European Project (Gene Activated Matrices
for Bone and Cartilage Regeneration in Arthritis). Bioceram Dev Appl 3: e101. doi:
10.4172/2090-5025.1000e101
Copyright: © 2013 Daculsi G. This is an open-access article distributed under the
terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and
source are credited.
e European Union has funding a research project coordinated
by the Klinikumrechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München
(TUM), Munich, Germany. e project develops new methods for
treatment of osteoarthritis. Researchers aim at inducing the self
healing capacity of damaged cartilage and bone by coordinated
cooperation/interaction of gene vectors, mesenchymal stem cells,
and carriers.
Looking at the population aged 65 and higher, every second person
suers from the disease, with increasing degeneration of cartilage and
ultimately destruction of the underlying bone as well. e etiologyof
osteoarthritis (OA) is still unknown. erapy is currently mainly
symptomatic with reduction of pain and inammation, but not
restorative, and is oen ending in total joint replacement. e research
project GAMBA (Gene Activated Matrices for Bone and Cartilage
Regeneration in Arthritis) (www.gamba-project.eu)was investigating
new methods to induce regenerative processes within the body.
Project coordinator Dr. Martina Anton and co-initiator Dr.
Christian Plank at the Institute for Experimental Oncology and erapy
Research (Director: Prof. Bernd Gänsbacher) at Klinikumrechts
der Isar have assembled a team of international specialists with nine
research groups from Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, e Netherlands
and Switzerland.
e project outline concerns essentially a nano-biotechnological
approach for spatiotemporal control of therapeutic bioactivity on
command and demand based on a novel gene activated matrix platform
complemented with an innovative program of public outreach
• Medical indication of OA.
• ree compartments / ree tissues.
• ree genes: IL-10, TGFb, BMP2.
• ree methods of regulation: Heat, Doxycycline, Inammation.
• Two types of vectors: non-viral and adenoviral.
• Two biomaterials: biomimetic hyaluronan gel, Bioceramic MBCP
+ Technology.
Strategies were developed experimentally. Researchers aim at
inducing self-healing capacity of patients by use of mesenchymal stem
cells (precursors for bone, cartilage and adipose tissue cells). Using
gene vectors cells will be equipped with new genetic information
that will allow for production of therapeutically relevant proteins
in a transiently. Ideally a three-fold combination will be developed
addressing inammation as well as cartilage and bone repair (Figure 1).
Dr. Christian Plank explains that local and temporal regulation are
essentials of GAMBA: “By being able to specically switch on and o
gene vector activity and embedding of vectors and cells in synthetic
hyaluronic acid gels and synthetic bone substitute (Micro Macroporous
Biphasic Calcium Phosphate technology), we aim at limiting of gene
vector action to the diseased tissue.” Dr. Martina Anton cautions
excessive expectations: ‘It might well occur that we can only induce one
or two of the intended three healing processes.’ However, if as hoped
for the results point to promising methods, in the next step researchers
will investigate how patients can prot from these new results.
Another essential part of the project deals with involving patients
and citizens early in the research. erefore novel ways of outreach
methods called patient and citizen panels was used. ese will be
held indierent countries in order to enhance awareness of nano-
medicine in the public and take into account public expectations and
reservations. Aim was to start early on a public debate on ethical, legal
and societal issues connected to the research project.
BDA Journal, have the opportunity to publish online the manual of
the project and the compendium. ese papers have been elaborated by
Beatrice Lugger, from the partner of the project Science Dialogue. e
paper was realized for patient and citizen panels regarding ethical, legal
and social aspects of innovative therapies with adult stem cells, gene
therapy and nanoparticles.
Guy Daculsi
Editor in chief
Bioceramics Development and Applications
Figure 1: Over-view of GAMBA.