Delivering growth factors through a polymeric scaffold to cell cultures containing both nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus

Biphasic scaffold for annulus fibrosus tissue regeneration.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is the major cause of lower back pain, while the currently available treatments are symptomatic rather than curative. Tissue engineering is a powerful therapeutic strategy that can restore the normal biomechanical motion of the human spine. The ability of a biphasic elastic scaffold to structurally and elastically simulate the annulus fibrosus (AF) tissue ...

Differential Characterization of Two Kinds of Stem Cells Isolated from Rabbit Nucleus Pulposus and Annulus Fibrosus

Objective. Nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) are two main components of intervertebral disc (IVD). We aimed to figure out whether NP and AF also contain stem cells and whether these stem cells share common properties with chondrocytes and/or fibroblasts in their phenotypes or whether they are completely different types of cells with different characteristics. Design. The disk cell...

Compartmentalization of the matrix formed by nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus cells in alginate gel.

Intervertebral disc cells cultured in alginate gel are capable of reforming in alginate, a matrix that consists of two compartments: a rim of metabolically active cell-associated matrix and a more abundant, but metabolically less active, further removed matrix. At any one age and in most species, the cell-associated matrix formed by a nucleus pulposus or annulus fibrosus cell cultured in this w...

Shear Mechanics of Electrospun Scaffold for Annulus Fibrosus Tissue Engineering

INTRODUCTION Engineering functional replacements for the annulus fibrosus (AF) is contingent upon successful replication of anatomic form and mechanical function. Recently, our group and others have demonstrated the utility of electrospun scaffolds for AF tissue engineering [1]. These ordered, nanofibrous scaffolds direct cell alignment and deposition of a functional fibrocartilage matrix [1]. ...

The small proteoglycan biglycan regulates growth factor/cytokine –induced signaling in annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus cells of the intervertebral disc