Ogasawara Shota, Schol Jordy, Sakai Daisuke, Warita Takayuki, Susumu Takano, Nakamura Yoshihiko, Sako Kosuke, Tamagawa Shota, Matsushita Erika, Soma Hazuki, Sato Masato, Watanabe Masahiko
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara 259-1193, Japan.
Center for Musculoskeletal Innovative Research and Advancement (C-MiRA), Tokai University Graduate School, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara 259-1193, Japan.
Cells. 2024 Nov 30;13(23):1984. doi: 10.3390/cells13231984.
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.
椎间盘退变是慢性下腰痛的主要原因，全球数百万人受其影响。再生医学，尤其是基于细胞的疗法，是一种很有前景的治疗策略。本研究在诱导椎间盘退变的比格犬模型中，评估了两种生物材料——透明质酸（HA）和藻酸盐——作为髓核（NP）细胞移植载体的相对疗效。分离、培养NP细胞，然后将其与HA或藻酸盐一起注射到退变椎间盘中，以生理盐水和未加载细胞的载体作为对照。在12周的随访期内进行椎间盘高度指数、T2加权磁共振成像（MRI）和组织学分析，以评估修复效果。影像学显示，与退变对照组相比，加载载体和细胞的治疗均改善了结果，加载细胞的载体始终优于仅用载体治疗的椎间盘。组织学评估支持了这些发现，显示两个治疗组均有细胞外基质恢复的趋势。虽然两种生物材料都显示出修复潜力，但HA在支持NP细胞促进椎间盘再生方面表现出更高的一致性。这些结果强调了HA作为基于NP细胞疗法的优质载体在解决椎间盘退变方面的潜力。
