Young Biotechnologist of the Year
November 2006Dr Stephen Richardson of the Division of Regenerative Medicine was named Northwest Young Biotechnologist of the Year at the NWDA’s annual BioNow awards in mid-November, for the lower back pain (LBP) treatment he has developed using a patient’s own stem cells.
Most cases of LBP are due to degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD), the soft tissue which separates the vertebrae in the spine. It is comprised of a central gel-like tissue (nucleus pulposus or NP), surrounded by a fibrous ring of tissue (annulus fibrosus or AF).
Over time the NP becomes dry and fibrous and cannot support the weight of the body, causing the disc to become damaged and painful. Stephen has therefore developed a cell-based tissue-engineering approach to regenerate the IVD at the affected level, using a combination of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) found in the patient’s own bone marrow and a naturally-occurring collagen gel.
Dr Richardson explained: “Once implanted, the differentiated MSCs produce new NP tissue with the same properties as the original, treating both the underlying cause of the disease and the painful symptoms. The gel can be implanted through a minimally-invasive surgical technique meaning there is only a very small scar on the back, and the patient should be able to return home on the same day or the day after surgery.”
The project is expected to quickly yield a product which will revolutionise treatment of long-term low back pain. It could bring substantial cost savings to the NHS, as patients could be treated quickly and effectively without any need for extended hospitalisation.
As both the cause and the symptoms are tackled only one treatment should be needed in a lifetime, removing the need for continuous treatments with painkillers and physiotherapy. There are also significant implications for improved productivity in the workplace; large numbers of work-hours being lost each year to sickness leave for low back pain.
