13 p.BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Back pain is a highly prevalent health problem in the world today
and has a great economic impact on health-care budgets. Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration has
been identified as a main cause of back pain. Inflammatory cytokines produced by macrophages or
disc cells in an inflammatory environment play an important role in painful progressive degeneration
of IVD. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown to have immunosuppressive and antiinflammatory
properties. Mesenchymal stem cells express a variety of chemokines and cytokines
receptors having tropism to inflammation sites.
PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop an in vitro controlled and standardized model of inflammation
and degeneration of IVD with rat cells and to evaluate the protective and immunomodulatory
effect of conditioned medium (CM) from the culture of MSCs to improve the conditions presented
in herniated disc and discogenic pain processes.
STUDY DESIGN: This is an experimental study.
METHODS: In this study, an in vitro model of inflammation and degeneration of IVD has been
developed, as well as the effectiveness of CM from the culture of MSCs.
RESULTS: Conditioned medium from MSCs downregulated the expression of various proinflammatory
cytokines produced in the pathogenesis of discogenic pain such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-17,
and tumor necrosis factor (TNF).
CONCLUSION: Mesenchymal stem cells represent a promising alternative strategy in the treatment
of IVD degeneration inasmuch as there is currently no treatment which leads to a complete
remission of long-term pain in the absence of drug
