The Application of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and Their Homing Capabilities to Regenerate the Intervertebral Disc

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Andreas S. Croft, University of Bern; Svenja Illien-Junger, Emory University; Sibylle Grad, AO Research Institute Davos; Julien Guerrero, University of Bern; Sebastian Wangler, University of Bern; Benjamin Gantenbein, University of Bern
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-04-01
• Publisher: MDPI
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2021 by the authors.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms22073519
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 7
• Grant/Funding Information: This study was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation # 310030E_192674/1.
• Keywords: IN-VITRO; intervertebral disc regeneration; Chemistry; cell-based therapy; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Science & Technology; NEEDLE PUNCTURE; BONE-MARROW-CELLS; STEM-CELLS; mesenchymal stromal cells; Physical Sciences; END-PLATE; LOW-BACK-PAIN; NUCLEUS PULPOSUS; LUMBAR DISC; homing; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; SYSTEMIC DELIVERY; Chemistry, Multidisciplinary; PUNCTURE INJURY
• Research Categories: Biology, Cell; Biology, Molecular; Chemistry, Biochemistry

Abstract

Chronic low back pain (LBP) remains a challenging condition to treat, and especially to cure. If conservative treatment approaches fail, the current “gold standard” for intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD)-provoked back pain is spinal fusion. However, due to its invasive and destruc-tive nature, the focus of orthopedic research related to the intervertebral disc (IVD) has shifted more towards cell-based therapeutic approaches. They aim to reduce or even reverse the degenerative cascade by mimicking the human body’s physiological healing system. The implementation of progenitor and/or stem cells and, in particular, the delivery of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) has revealed significant potential to cure the degenerated/injured IVD. Over the past decade, many research groups have invested efforts to find ways to utilize these cells as efficiently and sustainably as possible. This narrative literature review presents a summary of achievements made with the application of MSCs for the regeneration of the IVD in recent years, including their preclinical and clinical applications. Moreover, this review presents state-of-the-art strategies on how the homing capabilities of MSCs can be utilized to repair damaged or degenerated IVDs, as well as their current limitations and future perspectives.