A group such as Kyoto University announced that they succeeded in an experiment to regenerate the function by transplanting cells made from iPS cells into the intervertebral disc of an injured rat.
It is attracting attention as a technology that will lead to the development of new treatments for low back pain in humans.
This was announced by Professor Noriyuki Tsumeki of the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University and groups such as Osaka University.
There is a tissue called "medullary nucleus" in the intervertebral disc in the spine, and "disc degeneration" in which this tissue is damaged or lost is considered to be one of the main causes of low back pain in Japanese.
When the group investigated the function of genes in the cells of the "nucleus nucleus" in detail, they found that they contained cells that closely resembled cartilage.
Therefore, iPS cells were used to create cells similar to this cartilage and transplanted into the intervertebral discs of rats from which the "nucleus nucleus" had been removed, and the condition after 6 months was investigated.
As a result, the intervertebral discs of the transplanted rats did not degenerate, and the function as an intervertebral disc that acts as a cushion for the spine could be maintained normally.
On the other hand, the rat with the nucleus pulposus removed had the tissue broken and was in a state of "disc degeneration".
Professor Tsumeki said, "Since there is currently no therapeutic technique for regenerating the nucleus pulposus, it is of great significance to show that it can be one of the candidates for future regenerative treatment."