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Scientists Identify Stem Cells in Degenerating Spinal Discs
November 03, 2007 at 6:41 PM
Genetics & Stem Cells News
The team led by Makarand Risbud, Ph.D., and Irving Shapiro, Ph.D., at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, have for the first time found stem cells in both degenerated adult human discs and in discs of animals.
Dr. Shapiro said that as the discs in the spine degenerate, cells are lost and the ability to produce water-binding molecules called proteoglycans is decreased. The water absorbs forces on the spine, essentially serving as shock absorbers. Losing proteoglycans can result in damage to the disc, and sometimes, pain.
It would be wonderful if we could get the cells in the intervertebral disc to regenerate or increase the amount of proteoglycans that they synthesize. That way we could regenerate the shock-absorbing capabilities of the spine, he said.
The researchers asked if it was possible to regenerate proteoglycans using adult stem cells. Federal regulations prevent them from using embryonic stem cells. Dr. Risbud built the study around the observation that while the tissue that he could isolate from the disc was no longer binding water, the tissue still might contain dormant stem cells. He thought that while these cells were no longer functioning to repair the damaged disc, under appropriate conditions, they could be activated.
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More News on: Stem Cells - Cord Blood, Stem Cells - Fundamentals, Parkinsons Disease Surgical Treatment, Genetics and Stem Cells, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells
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