'Cell or Not to Cell' that is the Question: For Intervertebral Disc Regeneration?

Low back pain, strongly associated with intervertebral disc degeneration, is one of the most prevalent health problems in the western world today. Current treatments have been directed toward alleviating patient symptoms but have been shown to accelerate degenerative changes in adjacent discs. New approaches in tissue engineering have provided a variety of treatment options including the delivery of regenerative cells, either alone or together with hydrogel scaffolds in order to restore/maintain disc biomechanics whilst simultaneously regenerating the matrix. This review paper discusses the use of cellular and acellular therapeutic strategies for IVD degeneration with an emphasis on the importance of tailoring the treatment strategy with stage of degeneration, thus offering insight into the future clinical options for IVD regeneration.

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