Biomaterial Database

[Advances of nucleus pulposus cells for treating intervertebral disc degeneration]. 2009

Feng Wang, and Yuntao Wang, and Xiaotao Wu

Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing Jiangsu, 210009, P.R. China.

OBJECTIVE To introduce the research of nucleus pulposus cells for treating intervertebral disc degeneration. METHODS The original articles in recent years about nucleus pulposus cells for treating intervertebral disc degeneration were extensively reviewed, and retrospective and comprehensive analysis was performed. RESULTS Nucleus pulposus cells are not only simply a remnant of embryonic notochordal cells, but have also an important influence on the well-being of the whole disc. The biological treatment strategies aim to regenerate the disc by either trying to improve the micro-environment within the disc or to increase the population of the nucleus pulposus, which includes transplanting mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into nucleus-like cells in the degenerated intervertebral disc. CONCLUSIONS Nucleus pulposus cells or nucleus pulposus like cells based cell transplantation methods prove to be a promising and realistic approach for the intervertebral disc regeneration.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D002478	Cells, Cultured	Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.	Cultured Cells,Cell, Cultured,Cultured Cell
D017690	Cell Transplantation	Transference of cells within an individual, between individuals of the same species, or between individuals of different species.	Transplantation, Cell
D055959	Intervertebral Disc Degeneration	Degenerative changes in the INTERVERTEBRAL DISC due to aging or structural damage, especially to the vertebral end-plates.	Degenerative Disc Disease,Degenerative Intervertebral Discs,Degenerative Intervertebral Disks,Intervertebral Disk Degeneration,Disc Degeneration,Disc Degradation,Disk Degeneration,Disk Degradation,Degeneration, Disc,Degeneration, Disk,Degeneration, Intervertebral Disc,Degeneration, Intervertebral Disk,Degenerative Disc Diseases,Degenerative Intervertebral Disc,Degenerative Intervertebral Disk,Degradation, Disc,Degradation, Disk,Disc Degeneration, Intervertebral,Disc Degenerations,Disc Degradations,Disc Disease, Degenerative,Disc, Degenerative Intervertebral,Disk Degeneration, Intervertebral,Disk Degenerations,Disk Degradations,Disk, Degenerative Intervertebral,Intervertebral Disc Degenerations,Intervertebral Disc, Degenerative,Intervertebral Disk Degenerations,Intervertebral Disk, Degenerative
D018929	Cell Culture Techniques	Methods for maintaining or growing CELLS in vitro.	Cell Culture,Cell Culture Technique,Cell Cultures,Culture Technique, Cell,Culture Techniques, Cell
D023822	Tissue Engineering	Generating tissue in vitro for clinical applications, such as replacing wounded tissues or impaired organs. The use of TISSUE SCAFFOLDING enables the generation of complex multi-layered tissues and tissue structures.	Engineering, Tissue