2023-11-18 04:15:54
A new biological “patch” that is activated by a person’s natural movement could be the key to repairing herniated intervertebral discs in the back, according to the authors of a new study.
The research and development work has been carried out by a team including Robert Mauck, from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. This preclinical study has been published in the academic journal Science Translational Medicine.
The vertebral column has 24 vertebrae that support the trunk and help protect the spinal cord that runs through the central cavity. The vertebrae are connected by intervertebral discs. These discs are highly hydrated, flexible and have notable mechanical resistance. They give the spine its characteristic flexibility and act as shock absorbers during everyday acts such as walking and running and in situations where impact is generated, such as jumping.
An intervertebral disc can deteriorate due to natural aging or early degeneration. In the latter case, the symptoms appear much earlier than would be normal if they were due to aging. Disc degeneration consists, broadly speaking, of a gradual loss of its water and structure and, therefore, of its functionality. The deterioration can culminate in a herniated disc.
Currently there is no treatment that definitively cures a herniated disc.
Combining years of work on many different projects, Mauck’s team has prepared implants called TARPs, which stands for “Tension-Activated Repair Patches.”
Digital 3D reconstruction of a TARP. (Image: Penn Medicine)
From microcapsules, TARPs provide a controlled release of an anti-inflammatory substance called anakinra and over a long time, which helped the discs of a large animal model to regain the tension they need to reverse the herniation or at least to stop it. prevent further degeneration. (Source: NCYT from Amazings)
#cure #herniated #disc