Transdiscal Administration of Specific Inhibitors of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines
The present invention relates to injecting a high specificity cytokine antagonist into a diseased intervertebral disc.
1 .- 20 . (canceled)
21 . A method of inhibiting degeneration of an extracellular matrix of a nucleus pulposus of an intervertebral disc having a degenerating nucleus pulposus and an annulus fibrosus in a patient in need thereof, comprising transdiscally administering into the degenerating nucleus pulposus an effective amount of a formulation comprising: viable allogenic mesenchymal stem cells in a concentrated form, wherein the cells were obtained from bone marrow and concentrated by centrifugation, filtration or immunoabsorption.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the cells administered into the degenerating nucleus pulposus are cultured cells.
23 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the cells were obtained from bone marrow and concentrated by centrifugation.
24 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the cells were obtained from bone marrow and concentrated by filtration.
25 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the cells were obtained from bone marrow and concentrated by immunoabsorption.
26 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the formulation is injected into the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc.
27 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the formulation is also administered into the annulus fibrosus of the intervertebral disc.
28 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the formulation is delivered in a sustained release device.
29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the sustained release device comprises a polymer.
30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the polymer is a bioresorbable polymer.
31 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid (PLA), polyglycolic acid (PGA), and polycaprolactone (PCL), or mixtures thereof.
32 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the sustained release device comprises a biosensor.
33 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising transdiscally administering a growth factor into the degenerating nucleus pulposus.
34 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the growth factor is transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) or a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP).