Abstract:

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic condition characterized by joint pain, functional impairment, and degeneration of articular cartilage. Currently, there remains a lack of effective treatments capable of altering the disease progression. In recent years, advances in immunology, molecular biology, stem cell technology, and genetic engineering have driven forward research on OA therapies. Although targeted agents and non-specific anti-inflammatory drugs have shown certain anti-inflammatory or analgesic effects in some clinical trials, their overall efficacy remains limited and safety concerns persist. Meanwhile, emerging approaches such as immunotherapy, cell-based therapy, and gene therapy offer novel strategies for OA intervention, showing potential advantages in suppressing inflammation, preserving cartilage, and alleviating pain. However, issues such as long-term safety, durability of therapeutic effects, and patient stratification require further clarification. In the future, OA treatment is expected to evolve toward precise phenotyping, combined interventions, localized long-term immunomodulation, and innovative drug delivery approaches. This review summarizes recent advances in the field to provide insights for optimizing future therapeutic strategies for OA.

Key words: osteoarthritis, immunotherapy, cell and gene therapy, clinical trials