Growth factors and platelet-rich plasma: promising biological strategies for early intervertebral disc degeneration

Abstract

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a complex process with the mechanism not fully elucidated. The current clinical treatments for IDD are mainly focused on providing symptomatic relief without addressing the underlying cause of the IDD. Biological therapeutic strategies to repair and regenerate the degenerated discs are drawing more attention. Growth factor therapy is one of the biological strategies and holds promising prospects. As a promising bioactive substance, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is considered to be an ideal growth factor "cocktail" for intervertebral disc (IVD) restoration. Results from many in vitro and in vivo studies have confirmed the efficacy of growth factors and PRP in IVD repair and regeneration. It is essential to advance the research on growth factor therapy and associated mechanism for IDD. This article reviews the background of IDD, current concepts in growth factor and PRP-related therapy for IDD. Future research perspectives and clinical directions are also discussed.

Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Platelet‐Rich Plasma on the Bone Healing of Ovariectomized Rats

“…Reduced estrogen levels in postmenopausal women along with declines in BMSC number and osteogenic differentiation capacity are important contributors to age-related bone loss [20]. PRP has been widely used in various clinical procedures due to its high concentration of growth factors and bioactive proteins that influence the healing of bone injuries [7, 21]. Although not yet conclusive, it appears that most research supports a positive role for PRP in bone regeneration in vivo [22, 23].…”

The embryonic and evolutionary boundaries between notochord and cartilage: a new look at nucleus pulposus-specific markers

“…As the global burden of degenerative IVD disease is presently high and is expected to increase in aging societies 1 , biological treatments of such disease, including injection of growth factors 7 , gene therapy 8 , and cell transplantation 9 have been developed in recent years as alternative means of both disc repair and pain relief. Nevertheless, although positive outcomes have been reported in various animal models of IVD degeneration 7e9 , few well-designed clinical trials have yielded promising evidence supporting the wide application of such regenerative strategies in humans 10,11 .…”

Tumor necrosis factor-α: a key contributor to intervertebral disc degeneration

“…However, all of these interventions are limited to improve symptoms and do not aim to impede the pathophysiological processes involved in IDD. Recently, some biological strategies capable of preventing early disc degeneration by promoting extracellular matrix (ECM) repair and regeneration have been developed [10][11][12]. However, their long-term effects still have to be evaluated in the clinical setting.…”