Progress and challenges in tissue engineering of intervertebral disc annulus fibrosus.
- Author:
Pinghui ZHOU
1
;
Qianping GUO
2
;
Feng LING
1
;
Zhonglai QIAN
1
;
Bin LI
3
;
Author Information
1. Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
2. Orthopedic Institute, Soochow University, Suzhou 215007, China.
3. Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH:
Humans;
Intervertebral Disc;
growth & development;
Intervertebral Disc Degeneration;
therapy;
Regeneration;
Tissue Engineering
- From:
Journal of Zhejiang University. Medical sciences
2016;45(2):132-140
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a leading cause of low back pain, which severely affects the quality of life and incurs significant medical cost. Annulus fibrosus(AF) injuries can lead to substantial deterioration of intervertebral disc degeneration. However, the AF repair/regeneration remains a challenge due to the intrinsic cellular, biochemical and biomechanical heterogeneity of AF tissue. Tissue engineering would be a promising approach for AF regeneration. This article aims to provide a brief overview of the fundamental aspects of AF, the current achievements and future challenges of AF tissue engineering. A multidisciplinary approach is proposed for future studies to fully mimic the native AF tissue and its microenvironment, including choosing adequate cell source, preparing scaffolds with hierarchical microstructures, supplementing appropriate growth factors, and enforcing suitable mechanical stimulation. Hopefully, the engineered AF tissues would be effectively used to facilitate the treatment of DDD in the future.
