In vitro response of human chondrocytes to a combination of growth factors and a proteinase inhibitor.

Degenerative disk disease is an accelerating cascade of tissue degeneration in the intervertebral disk. A harsh catabolic environment perpetuates the degeneration of the intervertebral disk. Tissue engineering-based techniques offer effective treatment to slow the progression of degenerative disk disease and regenerate intervertebral disk tissue. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a regenerative therapy for degenerative disk disease by treating human chondrocytes with anabolic growth factors and a proteinase inhibitor. The use of both proved effective in upregulating important extracellular matrix markers of human chondrocytes. These successful in vitro results have implications for the regeneration of the intervertebral disk.