Intervertebral Disc
Low back pain is one of the most common causes of disability for individuals of working age in developed countries.
Low back pain is one of the most common causes of disability for individuals of working age in developed countries. There are many causes of low back pain, and it is generally believed that degenerative disc disease is one of the most prevalent. Our goal is to understand the basic mechanisms of disc degeneration and to develop long-term functional treatments for this condition. The strategy focuses on: exploring deficient nutrition and mechanical loading as mechanotransduction mechanisms of cellular stimulated degeneration; how these degenerative changes may cause failure of disc function; and then using this understanding to explore tissue engineering approaches towards disc regeneration.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is 3D deformity of the spine that affects previously healthy children, substantially reducing their quality of life and creating a life-long burden of disease. Although known since the ancient Greeks, a cure remains elusive because its cause and mechanism of disease are still unknown. Recently, it has been shown that the deformity begins in the IVD, and we have developed a hypothesis that AIS is caused by a complex perfect storm of anatomical, biomechanical and mechanobiological causes in the IVD. We are exploring this disease mechanism to identify predictive triggers that can be used for its prevention and early treatment.