Is Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Nucleus Pulposus Cells a Possibility for Biological Spinal Fusion?

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a simple, biologically robust method for inducing calcification of degenerate intervertebral discs (IVD) could be developed to provide an alternative treatment for patients requiring spinal fusion.

Design: Nucleus pulposus (NP) cells isolated from 14 human IVDs were cultured in monolayer and exposed to osteogenic medium, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (VitD), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) 2/7 to determine if they could become osteogenic. Similarly explant cultures of IVDs from 11 patients were cultured in osteogenic media with and without prior exposure to VitD and BMP-2.

Temporal Analyses of the Response of Intervertebral Disc Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Nutrient Deprivation.

Much emphasis has been placed recently on the repair of degenerate discs using implanted cells, such as disc cells or bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This study examines the temporal response of bovine and human nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and MSCs cultured in monolayer following exposure to altered levels of glucose (0, 3.15, and 4.