Patent Document ID: 20020098168
Application ID: 09731175
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for treating a connective tissue disorder which comprises: a) generating a recombinant vector that comprises one or more DNA sequences encoding one or more genes of interest; b) infecting a population of in vitro cultured target cells with said recombinant vector, resulting in a population of transduced target tissue cells; and, c) transplanting said transduced target cells to the mammalian host, such that subsequent expression of said gene or genes within the host reduces at least one deleterious joint pathology or indicia of inflammation normally associated with a connective tissue disorder; wherein said gene of interest encodes one or more therapeutic genes selected from the group consisting of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein; a Lac Z marker gene; soluble IL-1 receptor; soluble TNF-&agr; receptor, a proteinase inhibitor; a cytokine; CTL-A 1 ; FasL; and biologically active derivatives or fragments of these genes.