Intervertebral Disc Degeneration and Regeneration: New Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutics: Obstacles and Potential Breakthrough Technologies

Pain and disability secondary to degenerative disc disease continue to burden the healthcare system, creating an urgent need for effective, disease-modifying therapies. Contemporary research has identified potential therapies that include protein-, cellular- and/or matrix-related approaches; however...

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Main Authors: William Taylor, William Mark Erwin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Cells
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/13/24/2103
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author William Taylor
William Mark Erwin
author_facet William Taylor
William Mark Erwin
author_sort William Taylor
collection DOAJ
description Pain and disability secondary to degenerative disc disease continue to burden the healthcare system, creating an urgent need for effective, disease-modifying therapies. Contemporary research has identified potential therapies that include protein-, cellular- and/or matrix-related approaches; however, none have yet achieved a meaningful clinical impact. The tissue-specific realities of the intervertebral disc create considerable therapeutic challenges due to the disc’s location, compartmentalization, hypovascularization and delicate physiological environment. Furthermore, the imaging modalities currently used in practice are largely unable to accurately identify sources of pain ostensibly discogenic in origin. These obstacles are considerable; however, recent research has begun to shed light on possible breakthrough technologies. Such breakthroughs include revolutionary imaging to better identify tissue sources of pain. Furthermore, novel molecular therapies have been shown to be able to mediate the progression of degenerative disc disease in some large animal studies, and even provide some insight into suppressing the development of tissue sources of discogenic pain. These potential breakthrough technologies have yet to be translated for clinical use.
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spelling doaj-art-7c3375edc21c4e0b9564f83ce0cbf8822025-08-20T02:53:29ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092024-12-011324210310.3390/cells13242103Intervertebral Disc Degeneration and Regeneration: New Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutics: Obstacles and Potential Breakthrough TechnologiesWilliam Taylor0William Mark Erwin1Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of California at San Diego, 9350 Campus Point Dr., La Jolla, CA 92037, USADepartment of Surgery, Divisions of Orthopaedic and Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, 661 University Ave., Suite 13-1387, Toronto, ON M5G 0B7, CanadaPain and disability secondary to degenerative disc disease continue to burden the healthcare system, creating an urgent need for effective, disease-modifying therapies. Contemporary research has identified potential therapies that include protein-, cellular- and/or matrix-related approaches; however, none have yet achieved a meaningful clinical impact. The tissue-specific realities of the intervertebral disc create considerable therapeutic challenges due to the disc’s location, compartmentalization, hypovascularization and delicate physiological environment. Furthermore, the imaging modalities currently used in practice are largely unable to accurately identify sources of pain ostensibly discogenic in origin. These obstacles are considerable; however, recent research has begun to shed light on possible breakthrough technologies. Such breakthroughs include revolutionary imaging to better identify tissue sources of pain. Furthermore, novel molecular therapies have been shown to be able to mediate the progression of degenerative disc disease in some large animal studies, and even provide some insight into suppressing the development of tissue sources of discogenic pain. These potential breakthrough technologies have yet to be translated for clinical use.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/13/24/2103degenerative disc diseasemolecular therapynotochordal cellsimagingdisc pain
spellingShingle William Taylor
William Mark Erwin
Intervertebral Disc Degeneration and Regeneration: New Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutics: Obstacles and Potential Breakthrough Technologies
Cells
degenerative disc disease
molecular therapy
notochordal cells
imaging
disc pain
title Intervertebral Disc Degeneration and Regeneration: New Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutics: Obstacles and Potential Breakthrough Technologies
title_full Intervertebral Disc Degeneration and Regeneration: New Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutics: Obstacles and Potential Breakthrough Technologies
title_fullStr Intervertebral Disc Degeneration and Regeneration: New Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutics: Obstacles and Potential Breakthrough Technologies
title_full_unstemmed Intervertebral Disc Degeneration and Regeneration: New Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutics: Obstacles and Potential Breakthrough Technologies
title_short Intervertebral Disc Degeneration and Regeneration: New Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutics: Obstacles and Potential Breakthrough Technologies
title_sort intervertebral disc degeneration and regeneration new molecular mechanisms and therapeutics obstacles and potential breakthrough technologies
topic degenerative disc disease
molecular therapy
notochordal cells
imaging
disc pain
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/13/24/2103
work_keys_str_mv AT williamtaylor intervertebraldiscdegenerationandregenerationnewmolecularmechanismsandtherapeuticsobstaclesandpotentialbreakthroughtechnologies
AT williammarkerwin intervertebraldiscdegenerationandregenerationnewmolecularmechanismsandtherapeuticsobstaclesandpotentialbreakthroughtechnologies