13 research outputs found
Repair, regenerative and supportive therapies of the annulus fibrosus: achievements and challenges
Lumbar discectomy is a very effective therapy for neurological decompression in patients suffering from sciatica due to hernia nuclei pulposus. However, high recurrence rates and persisting post-operative low back pain in these patients require serious attention. In the past decade, tissue engineering strategies have been developed mainly targeted to the regeneration of the nucleus pulposus (NP) of the intervertebral disc. Accompanying techniques that deal with the damaged annulus fibrous are now increasingly recognised as mandatory in order to prevent re-herniation to increase the potential of NP repair and to confine NP replacement therapies. In the current review, the requirements, achievements and challenges in this quickly emerging field of research are discussed
A prospective multicenter phase I/II clinical trial to evaluate safety and efficacy of NOVOCART Disc plus autologous disc chondrocyte transplantation in the treatment of nucleotomized and degenerative lumbar disc to avoid secondary disease: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Effects of Freeze–Thaw Cycle with and without Proteolysis Inhibitors and Cryopreservant on the Biochemical and Biomechanical Properties of Articular Cartilage
Use of FGF-2 and FGF-18 to direct bone marrow stromal stem cells to chondrogenic and osteogenic lineages
The potential role of mesenchymal stem cell therapy for intervertebral disc degeneration: a critical overview
Products resulting from cleavage of the interglobular domain of aggrecan in samples of synovial fluid collected from dogs with early- and late-stage osteoarthritis
A comparative evaluation of the small leucine-rich proteoglycans of pathological human intervertebral discs
Purpose
Proteoglycans are important to the functioning of the intervertebral disc. In addition to aggrecan there are the small leucine-rich proteoglycans (SLRPs). These are less common but in other locations their functions include collagen organisation, sequestering growth factors and stimulating inflammation. We have performed a comparative analysis of the SLRP core protein species present in intervertebral discs with various pathologies.
Methods
Eighteen intervertebral discs from patients with scoliosis (n = 7, 19–53 years), degenerative disc disease (n = 6, 35–51 years) and herniations (n = 5, 33–58 years) were used in this study. Proteoglycans were dissociatively extracted from disc tissues and the SLRPs (biglycan, decorin, fibromodulin, keratocan and lumican) assessed by Western blotting following deglycosylation with chondroitinase ABC and keratanase.
Results
Intact SLRP core proteins and a number of core protein fragments were identified in most of the discs examined. Biglycan and fibromodulin were the most extensively fragmented. Keratocan generally occurred as two bands, one representing the intact core protein, the other a smaller fragment. The intact core protein of lumican was detected in all samples with fragmentation evident in only one of the older scoliotic discs. Decorin was less obvious in the disc samples and showed little fragmentation.
Conclusion
In this cohort of pathological intervertebral discs, fragmentation of certain SLRP core proteins was common, indicating that some SLRPs are extensively processed during the pathological process. Identification of specific SLRP fragments which correlate with disc pathology may not only help understand their aetiopathogeneses, but also provide biomarkers which can be used to monitor disease progression or to identify particular disc disorders