Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a condition where the spinal discs, which act as cushions between vertebrae, break down and lose their shock-absorbing ability. This breakdown can lead to pain and other symptoms, though not everyone with disc degeneration experiences pain.
Current treatments for degenerative disc disease (DDD) primarily focus on pain management and improving function, ranging from conservative methods to surgical interventions. Conservative options like physical therapy, medication, and injections are often the first line of defense. If these fail, surgery, including spinal fusion or artificial disc replacement, may be considered.
MSCs have been shown to be a promising candidate source of cells for the treatment of degenerative intervertebral disc diseases due to their easy accessibility in bone marrow, adipose, synovium, periosteum, and cartilage. Multiple published studies showed clinically meaningful improvement in pain and disability in patients with lumbar disc degeneration and chronic low back pain (LBP) within 1 year of injection of mesenchymal stem cells.
View the Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37397969/
How MSCs work in DDD treatment:
Animal studies have demonstrated that the implantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) yields promising results, including increased disc height, improved hydration, and reduced inflammation.
View the Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37669102/
The objective for newly emerging stem cell regenerative therapy is to treat degenerative disc disease (DDD) by restoring the disc’s cellularity and modulating the inflammatory response. Appropriate patient selection is crucial for the success of stem cell therapy. Regenerative modalities for discogenic pain currently focus on the use of either primary cells harvested from the intervertebral discs or stem cells from other sources whether autogenic or allogenic. The microenvironment in which stem cells are being cultured has been recognized to play a crucial role in directing or maintaining the production of the desired phenotypes and may enhance their regenerative potential. This has led to a more specific focus on innovating more effective culturing techniques, delivery vehicles and scaffolds for stem cell application. Although stem cell therapy might offer an attractive alternative treatment option, more clinical studies are still needed to establish on the safety and feasibility of such therapy.
View the Study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6989932/
