IVD rejuvenation using iPSC-derived notochordal cells

The study was recently published in the journal Theranostics. If confirmed in people, the study's findings could point to a potential way to treat back pain that is related to degenerative disc disease, which occurs when the discs between the vertebrae of the spinal column deteriorate or break down. Lower back pain in particular affects many adults and is a frequent cause of disability. It is one of the major clinical and socioeconomic global health burdens. 

To solve this problem, the study team first took small samples of dermal fibroblasts — the cells that form the skin's connective tissue and perform repairs — from human subjects. Using stem cell technology, they transformed these cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which can multiply rapidly and  By exposing these iPSCs to a protein modifier and encapsulating them in a hydrogel that simulated the spinal disc environment, the cells began to mimic notochordal cells. The team used these manufactured cells to treat laboratory pigs that had induced spinal disc degeneration.

After eight weeks, examination of the spinal discs of the treated subjects showed that they appeared to have been protected from further degeneration. The pH level of the discs, an indicator of healthy tissues, also was close to a normal level. In an additional experiment, the engineered cells were injected into immune-compromised laboratory mice to demonstrate that the cells did not induce tumors as a side effect.