Extensive
The recent description of progenitor/stem cells in degenerated intervertebral discs (IVDs) raised the possibility of harnessing their regenerative capacity for endogenous repair. The aim of this work is to develop an intradiscal polysaccharide microbead-based delivery system for the sequential release of chemokines and nucleopulpogenic factors. This delivery system would sequentially contribute to 1) the recruitment of resident progenitors (CXCL12 or CCL5), 2) the differentiation of the mobilized progenitors (TGF-β1 and GDF5), and 3) the subsequent regeneration of NP. To determine the effects of chemokines on