Mechanisms for regenerative intervertebral disc healing during early growth in mice
Annulus Fibrosus (AF) defects of intervertebral discs (IVDs) cause painful disability, for example when herniated tissue compresses against adjacent nerves. Discectomy, the current standard of treatment to address herniation, does not repair AF defects and can result in re-herniation and recurrent pain. As such there is a need for improved AF repair strategies. It has previously been established that neonatal mice functionally regenerate following severe AF injury providing a model of successful innate AF repair processes that contrasts the poor healing of adult mice. This dissertation focuses on identifying mechanisms of AF regenerative healing in neonatal mice subjected to severe herniation-type injuries that may eventually be used to inform future therapies. Therefore, this dissertation has 2 main aims. The first aim is to identify the timing of this IVD healing response as AF repair transitions from regenerative to fibrotic healing. The second aim is to use this information on the narrowed age window of regenerative healing to determine factors that influence regenerative versus fibrotic healing.
intervertebral disc, Annulus fibrosus, Regeneration, Neonatal growth, crosslink-density, mouse, Other Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering
City University of New York - City College
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