title: Fluoroscopy assisted minimally invasive transplantation of allogenic mesenchymal stromal cells embedded in HyStem reduces the progression of nucleus pulposus degeneration in the damaged ntervertebral [corrected] disc: a preliminary study in rabbits.
abstract: This study was conducted to develop a technique for minimally invasive and accurate delivery of stem cells to augment nucleus pulposus (NP) in damaged intervertebral discs (IVD). IVD damage was created in noncontiguous discs at L4-L5 level; rabbits (N = 12) were randomly divided into three groups: group I treated with MSCs in HyStem hydrogel, group II treated with HyStem alone, and group III received no intervention. MSCs and hydrogel were administered to the damaged disc under guidance of fluoroscopy. Augmentation of NP was assessed through histological and MRI T2 mapping of the NP after eight weeks of transplantation. T2 weighted signal intensity was higher in group I than in groups II and III (P < 0.05). Disc height index showed maximum disc height in group I compared to groups II and III. Histological score of the degenerative index was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in group I (8.6 ± 1.8) than that in groups II (11.6 ± 2.3) and III (18.0 ± 5.7). Immunohistochemistry staining for collagen type II and aggrecan staining were higher in group I as compared to other groups. Our results demonstrate that the minimally invasive administration of MSCs in hyaluronan hydrogel (HyStem) augments the repair of NP in damaged IVD.
authors: Tissue Engineering Group, NOCERAL, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Rifa Aquidah
authors: 0000-0001-8583-0182
authors: RA
authors: Subhan
authors: Tissue Engineering Group, NOCERAL, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Karunanithi
authors: K
authors: Puvanan
authors: Tissue Engineering Group, NOCERAL, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Malliga Raman
authors: MR
authors: Murali
authors: Tissue Engineering Group, NOCERAL, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Hanumantha Rao Balaji
authors: HR
authors: Raghavendran
authors: Tissue Engineering Group, NOCERAL, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Samuel
authors: S
authors: Shani
authors: Department of Biomedical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine Building, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Basri Johan Jeet
authors: BJ
authors: Abdullah
authors: Tissue Engineering Group, NOCERAL, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Azlina Amir
authors: AA
authors: Abbas
authors: Tissue Engineering Group, NOCERAL, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Jamal Azmi
authors: JA
authors: Mohamed
authors: Tissue Engineering Group, NOCERAL, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Tunku
authors: T
authors: Kamarul
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000473:pathology*; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011817:Rabbits; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous