Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells seeded on cartilaginous endplates promote Intervertebral Disc Regeneration through Extracellular Matrix Remodeling

• DOI: 10.1038/srep33836
• Publication Date: 2016-09-22T09:01:48Z
• Authors: Catarina Leite Pe...; Graciosa Q. Teixeira; Cláudia Ribeiro-M...; Joana Caldeira; Madalena Costa; Francisco Figueiredo; Rui Fernandes; Paulo Aguiar; Sibylle Grad; Mário A. Barbosa; Raquel M. Gonçalves
• Keywords: Aggrecan; Intervertebral Disc; Aggrecanase

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is characterized by significant biochemical and histomorphological alterations, such as loss of extracellular matrix (ECM) integrity, abnormal synthesis ECM main components, resultant from altered anabolic/catabolic cell activities death. Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cell (MSC) migration towards degenerated IVD may represent a viable strategy to promote tissue repair/regeneration. Here, human MSCs (hMSCs) were seeded on top cartilaginous endplates (CEP) nucleotomized IVDs bovine origin cultured ex vivo up 3 weeks. hMSCs migrated CEP the lesion area significantly increased expression collagen type II aggrecan in IVD, namely nucleus pulposus. Concomitantly, stimulated production growth factors, promoters synthesis, fibroblast factor 6 (FGF-6) 7 (FGF-7), platelet-derived receptor (PDGF-R), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating (GM-CSF) insulin-like 1 (IGF-1sR). Overall, our results demonstrate that can be an alternative route MSC-based therapies for regeneration through remodeling, thus opening new perspectives endogenous repair capacity MSC recruitment.