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INJECTABLE BIOMATERIALS TO MAINTAIN NOTOCHORDAL CELL PHENOTYPE AS POTENTIAL THERAPY FOR INTERVERTEBRAL DISC DEGENERATION

The Society for Back Pain Research (SBPR) Annual General Meeting, ‘PANNING FOR GOLD’ 50+ Anniversary Meeting, Coventry, England, 30 June – 1 July 2022.



Abstract

Objectives

Low back pain is strongly associated with degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD). During degeneration, altered matrix synthesis and increased matrix degradation, together with accompanied cell loss is seen particularly in the nucleus pulposus (NP). It has been proposed that notochordal (NC) cells, embryonic precursors for the cells within the NP, could be utilized for mediating IVD regeneration. However, injectable biomaterials are likely to be required to support their phenotype and viability within the degenerate IVD. Therefore, viability and phenotype of NC cells were analysed and compared within biomaterial carriers subjected to physiological oxygen conditions over a four-week period were investigated.

Methodology

Porcine NC cells were incorporated into three injectable hydrogels: NPgel (a L-pNIPAM-co-DMAc hydrogel), NPgel with decellularized NC-matrix powder (dNCM) and Albugel (an albumin/ hyaluronan hydrogel). The NCs and biomaterials constructs were cultured for up to four weeks under 5% oxygen (n=3 biological repeats). Histological, immunohistochemical and glycosaminoglycans (GAG) analysis were performed to investigate NC viability, phenotype and extracellular matrix synthesis and deposition.

Results

Histological analysis revealed that NCs survive in the biomaterials after four weeks and maintained cell clustering in NPgel, Albugel and dNCM/NPgel. NPgel and Albugel maintained NC cell markers and extracellular matrix. NC containing constructs excreted more GAGs over the four weeks than the acellular controls.

Conclusion

NC cells maintain their phenotype and characteristic features in vitro when encapsulated into biomaterials. NC cells and biomaterial construct could potentially become a therapy to treat and regenerate the IVD.

Conflicts of interest: No conflicts of interest

Sources of funding: This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 825925.


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