Basic and clinical study on retardation of disc degeneration

本研究的目的是评价同种异体椎间盘材料移植治疗退变椎间盘的效果。用日本大白兔制作实验性椎间盘退变动物模型，植入同种异体髓核或髓核细胞，观察免疫组织化学反应。然后，将髓核本身、5,000个细胞或50000个细胞重新植入退变的髓核。观察II型胶原的病理形态或出现情况。用抗兔CD4单抗和抗兔CD5单抗均未检测到免疫排斥反应。同种异体髓核再植本身可有效延缓椎间盘进一步退变。然而，使用同种异体髓核细胞重新植入的结果略低于髓核本身的结果。纤维环内层成簇的软骨细胞增多与II型胶原的形成密切相关。在实验动物模型的基础上，进行了髓核细胞和纤维环细胞共培养在人和临床上的应用。然而，由于我们正在等待同行评议期刊的发表，并安排获得一项发明的专利，因此关于使用人体盘材料进行的研究的报告将被推迟。在一年内，我们能够完整地报告我们的研究结果。

The purpose of this study is to evaluate effect of allografted disc material for degenerated disc. Experimental animal model for disc degeneration was made using Japanese white rabbits and allogenetic nucleus pulposus or nucleus pulposus cells were reinserted and immunohistochemical reaction was observed. Then, nucleus pulposus itself, 5000 cells or 50000 cells of prepared nucleus pulposus were reinserted into the degenerated discs. Pathological appearance or emergence of type II collagen was studied. No immunological rejection was determined using antirabbit CD4 monodonal antibody or antirabbit CD5 monocional antibody. Reinsertion of allogenetic nucleus pulposus itself was effective to retard further disc degeneration. However, an outcome of the reinsertion using allogenetic nucleus pulpous cells was slightly inferior to the results by nucleus pulposus itself. An increase of chondocyte-like cells in cluster at the inner layer of anulus fibrosus was tightly related to an emergence of type II collagen. On a basis of these results obtained by experimental animal models, an application of coculture of both nucleus pulposus cells and anulus fibrosus cells in human and clinical application under strict set-up were performed. However, reports on those studies using human disc material will be postponed because we are waiting for publication of the peer reviewed journal and arrange to obtain patent on an invention. In 1 year, we are able to report the outcome of our study wholly.