title: Regenerative potential of TGFβ3 + Dex and notochordal cell conditioned media on degenerated human intervertebral disc cells.
abstract: Injection of soluble cell signaling factors into degenerated intervertebral discs (IVDs) offers a minimally invasive treatment that could limit the processes of degeneration by stimulating native matrix repair. This study evaluated the regenerative capacity of degenerated nucleus pulposus (NP) cells obtained from patients undergoing anterior interbody fusions by measuring metabolic activity, DNA content, glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content, and cellular phenotype using qRT-PCR profiling with a custom array of 42 genes. NP cells were cultured in alginate for 7 days with 4 treatment groups: transforming growth factor beta 3 (TGFβ3) + dexamethasone (Dex), soluble factors released from notochordal cells (NCs) cultured in alginate (NCA), soluble factors released from NCs in their native tissue environment (NCT), and basal media. TGFβ3 + Dex stimulated degenerated human NP cells to proliferate and exhibit an anti-catabolic gene expression profile (with a decrease in ADAMTS5 and MMP1 compared to basal, and an increase in SOX9, decrease in ADAMTS5, MMP1, collagen I and collagen III compared to day 0), while NCA stimulated the greatest GAG per cell. We conclude that degenerated human NP cells exhibit regenerative potential, and that an optimal treatment will likely require treatments, such as TGFβ3 + Dex, which were able to increase cell metabolism and reduce catabolism, as well as treatments with factors found in NC conditioned medium, that were able to produce high amounts of GAG per cell. Additional studies to optimize NC culture conditions are required to determine if NC conditioned medium can be made with the capacity to enhance NP cell proliferation and metabolism.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405, USA.
authors.forename: Rosalyn Delia
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.forename: Devina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Purmessur
authors.forename: Robert Daniel
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Monsey
authors.forename: James Christopher
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Iatridis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001685:Biological Factors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009672:Notochord / Q000737:chemistry; D010641:Phenotype; D012038:Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D013552:Swine; D053782:Transforming Growth Factor beta3 / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D001685:Biological Factors; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; C509044:TGFB3 protein, human; D053782:Transforming Growth Factor beta3; D003907:Dexamethasone