Emerging therapeutic approaches for osteogenesis imperfecta.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is an incurable genetic brittle-bone disease. Although drug therapy, surgery and physiotherapy represent current treatments for OI, the search is ongoing for effective and innovative new therapies targeting the underlying causes of the disease. In this regard, recent advances in the fields of gene and stem-cell therapies have been considerable. In spite of the many challenges that remain, potential new therapies for OI, which have been tested in cell culture systems, animal models and patients, offer hope for the future development of successful therapies. Recent progress in the field is reviewed here.