A video perspective on the efficacy of stem cell therapy for treating degenerative disc disease

At the International Spine Intervention Society Annual Meeting, Wenchun Qu, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn., spoke about his group’s meta-analysis of preclinical studies into the efficacy of stem cell therapy for treating degenerative disc disease, a major cause of low back pain in humans. The global statistical analysis Qu and colleagues did showed a statistically significant increase in intervertebral disc height in animals treated with stem cells, as well as an increase in water content in their discs as seen on T2 weighted MRI. Among the other findings he discussed was a lower grade of histologic degeneration found in the animals that received stem cells in the disc space. More studies need to be conducted in humans, however, to determine if there would be a benefit of stems cells introduced as a therapy for degenerative disc disease as a clinical treatment, Qu said. To read more about this research click here.