48 research outputs found
Advocating "spine damage control" as a safe and effective treatment modality for unstable thoracolumbar fractures in polytrauma patients: a hypothesis
Effect of microRNA-21 on the proliferation of human degenerated nucleus pulposus by targeting programmed cell death 4
Intervertebral disc disease in Dachshunds radiographically screened for intervertebral disc calcifications
An understanding of intervertebral disc development, maturation and cell phenotype provides clues to direct cell-based tissue regeneration therapies for disc degeneration
Cell-based regenerative medicine therapies have been proposed for repairing the degenerated intervertebral disc (a major cause of back pain). However, for this approach to be successful, it is essential to characterise the phenotype of its native cells to guarantee that implanted cells differentiate and maintain the correct phenotype to ensure appropriate cell and tissue function. While recent studies have increased our knowledge of the human nucleus pulposus (NP) cell phenotype, their ontogeny is still unclear. The expression of notochordal markers by a subpopulation of adult NP cells suggests that, contrary to previous reports, notochord-derived cells are retained in the adult NP, possibly coexisting with a second population of cells originating from the annulus fibrosus or endplate. It is not known, however, how these two cell populations interact and their specific role(s) in disc homeostasis and disease. In particular, notochordal cells are proposed to display both anabolic and protective roles; therefore, they may be the ideal cells to repair the degenerate disc. Thus, understanding the ontogeny of the adult NP cells is paramount, as it will inform the medical and scientific communities as to the ideal phenotype to implant into the degenerate disc and the specific pathways involved in stem cell differentiation towards such a phenotype. © 2014 The Author(s)