서울대학교 의과대학 정형외과학 교실, 서울특별시 보라매병원 정형외과
Introduction
Degenerative change of the vertebral disc is known to be caused by inherited factors, aging and mechanical and environmental factors and it progresses due to the decreasing amount of proteoglycan in the vertebral disc. Resolving the imbalance between the synthesis and break down of proteoglycan is an important strategy for slowing additional degeneration and increasing regeneration of the disc.
Body: To regenerate vertebral discs, many attempt have been made to get curative value such as direct injection of growth factors like BMP-2, BMP-7, IGF-1, TGF-β1, GDF-5 and FGF into the disc or transplantation of cytokine for improving the composition of proteoglycan. But these proteins have a short acting time and so repeated transplantation is necessary even if transplantation into the disc is done. So, much research has been done on genetic transplantation, which may improve certain proteins. Other trials of transplantation of nucleus pulposus cells, combinations of stem cells with scaffold and amalgamation with genetic care have also been done. But the safety of these therapies has not yet been completely established.
Conclusion
Biological therapy for degenerative disc disease has many benefits compared with the conventional therapies. Hereafter, according to additional research, the clinical indications for biological therapies are expected to increase. Clinical applications should be performed after securing enough results for establishing the safety and effectiveness of these new procedures.
