Alginate vs. Hyaluronic Acid as Carriers for Nucleus Pulposus Cells: A Study on Regenerative Outcomes in Disc Degeneration
Intervertebral disc degeneration is a leading cause of chronic low back pain, affecting millions globally. Regenerative medicine, particularly cell-based therapies, presents a promising therapeutic strategy. This study evaluates the comparative efficacy of two biomaterials—hyaluronic acid (HA) and a...
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2024-11-01
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| author | Shota Ogasawara Jordy Schol Daisuke Sakai Takayuki Warita Takano Susumu Yoshihiko Nakamura Kosuke Sako Shota Tamagawa Erika Matsushita Hazuki Soma Masato Sato Masahiko Watanabe |
| author_facet | Shota Ogasawara Jordy Schol Daisuke Sakai Takayuki Warita Takano Susumu Yoshihiko Nakamura Kosuke Sako Shota Tamagawa Erika Matsushita Hazuki Soma Masato Sato Masahiko Watanabe |
| author_sort | Shota Ogasawara |
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| description | Intervertebral disc degeneration is a leading cause of chronic low back pain, affecting millions globally. Regenerative medicine, particularly cell-based therapies, presents a promising therapeutic strategy. This study evaluates the comparative efficacy of two biomaterials—hyaluronic acid (HA) and alginate—as carriers for nucleus pulposus (NP) cell transplantation in a beagle model of induced disc degeneration. NP cells were isolated, cultured, and injected with either HA or alginate into degenerated discs, with saline and non-cell-loaded carriers used as controls. Disc height index, T2-weighted MRI, and histological analyses were conducted over a 12-week follow-up period to assess reparative outcomes. Imaging revealed that both carrier and cell-loaded treatments improved outcomes compared to degenerative controls, with cell-loaded carriers consistently outperforming carrier-only treated discs. Histological assessments supported these findings, showing trends toward extracellular matrix restoration in both treatment groups. While both biomaterials demonstrated reparative potential, HA showed greater consistency in supporting NP cells in promoting disc regeneration. These results underscore HA’s potential as a superior carrier for NP cell-based therapies in addressing disc degeneration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-044be9ec6f464d94a7c4d3e786c16b46 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2073-4409 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Cells |
| spelling | doaj-art-044be9ec6f464d94a7c4d3e786c16b462025-08-20T01:55:31ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092024-11-011323198410.3390/cells13231984Alginate vs. Hyaluronic Acid as Carriers for Nucleus Pulposus Cells: A Study on Regenerative Outcomes in Disc DegenerationShota Ogasawara0Jordy Schol1Daisuke Sakai2Takayuki Warita3Takano Susumu4Yoshihiko Nakamura5Kosuke Sako6Shota Tamagawa7Erika Matsushita8Hazuki Soma9Masato Sato10Masahiko Watanabe11Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara 259-1193, JapanDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara 259-1193, JapanDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara 259-1193, JapanTUNZ Pharma Corporation, Osaka 541-0046, JapanDepartment of Radiology, Tokai University Hospital, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara 259-1193, JapanTUNZ Pharma Corporation, Osaka 541-0046, JapanDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara 259-1193, JapanDepartment of Medicine for Orthopaedics and Motor Organ, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, JapanDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara 259-1193, JapanTUNZ Pharma Corporation, Osaka 541-0046, JapanDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara 259-1193, JapanDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara 259-1193, JapanIntervertebral disc degeneration is a leading cause of chronic low back pain, affecting millions globally. Regenerative medicine, particularly cell-based therapies, presents a promising therapeutic strategy. This study evaluates the comparative efficacy of two biomaterials—hyaluronic acid (HA) and alginate—as carriers for nucleus pulposus (NP) cell transplantation in a beagle model of induced disc degeneration. NP cells were isolated, cultured, and injected with either HA or alginate into degenerated discs, with saline and non-cell-loaded carriers used as controls. Disc height index, T2-weighted MRI, and histological analyses were conducted over a 12-week follow-up period to assess reparative outcomes. Imaging revealed that both carrier and cell-loaded treatments improved outcomes compared to degenerative controls, with cell-loaded carriers consistently outperforming carrier-only treated discs. Histological assessments supported these findings, showing trends toward extracellular matrix restoration in both treatment groups. While both biomaterials demonstrated reparative potential, HA showed greater consistency in supporting NP cells in promoting disc regeneration. These results underscore HA’s potential as a superior carrier for NP cell-based therapies in addressing disc degeneration.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/13/23/1984intervertebral discdisc degenerationcell therapybiomaterialshyaluronic acidalginate |
| spellingShingle | Shota Ogasawara Jordy Schol Daisuke Sakai Takayuki Warita Takano Susumu Yoshihiko Nakamura Kosuke Sako Shota Tamagawa Erika Matsushita Hazuki Soma Masato Sato Masahiko Watanabe Alginate vs. Hyaluronic Acid as Carriers for Nucleus Pulposus Cells: A Study on Regenerative Outcomes in Disc Degeneration Cells intervertebral disc disc degeneration cell therapy biomaterials hyaluronic acid alginate |
| title | Alginate vs. Hyaluronic Acid as Carriers for Nucleus Pulposus Cells: A Study on Regenerative Outcomes in Disc Degeneration |
| title_full | Alginate vs. Hyaluronic Acid as Carriers for Nucleus Pulposus Cells: A Study on Regenerative Outcomes in Disc Degeneration |
| title_fullStr | Alginate vs. Hyaluronic Acid as Carriers for Nucleus Pulposus Cells: A Study on Regenerative Outcomes in Disc Degeneration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alginate vs. Hyaluronic Acid as Carriers for Nucleus Pulposus Cells: A Study on Regenerative Outcomes in Disc Degeneration |
| title_short | Alginate vs. Hyaluronic Acid as Carriers for Nucleus Pulposus Cells: A Study on Regenerative Outcomes in Disc Degeneration |
| title_sort | alginate vs hyaluronic acid as carriers for nucleus pulposus cells a study on regenerative outcomes in disc degeneration |
| topic | intervertebral disc disc degeneration cell therapy biomaterials hyaluronic acid alginate |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/13/23/1984 |
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