Low back pain (LBP) causes more pain and disability than any other condition and is one of the most common reasons why people see a doctor or are absent from work. One of the major causes of LBP is intervertebral disc degeneration (IVD), which occurs when the usually flexible and rubbery discs in the spine wear down and collapse as a consequence of aging or injury, losing their cushioning ability and causing pain. Early treatments for LBP include analgesics (painkillers) but these drugs are not effective and only treat the symptoms rather the cause. In fact, there are currently no effective treatments for long-term treatment of chronic LBP and painful IVD degeneration. This research will test some new treatments on a large animal model of IVD degeneration. The purpose of this project is to develop a good combination therapy that mixes different drugs and tests new stem cell therapies that can potentially reduce pain and stop or least slow down IVD degeneration and the worsening of LBP.

2022

2026