ISTO Technologies announced positive preclinical data for its spinal disc repair therapy, NuQu. In collaboration with the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), ISTO is investigating potential applications of the company’s core cell-based platform technology.
ISTO’s orthobiologic products are intended to repair and regenerate damaged cartilage in knee joints and spinal discs. Cartilage regeneration is often called the “holy grail” of orthopedics because of its potential to renew cartilage and restore function to damaged joints (versus more invasive surgical intervention).
NuQu is a cell-based injectable formulation of juvenile chondrocytes (cartilage-forming cells) for nucleus regeneration of the spinal disc. In these pre-clinical studies, the disc nucleus from adult pigs was removed and replaced with NuQu.
“The purpose of this preclinical study was to evaluate whether juvenile cartilage cells can effectively replace and regenerate cartilage in the nucleus,” said Jeffrey Lotz, Director of the Orthopedic Bioengineering Lab at UCSF. “We are very encouraged by the fact, that in several animal studies, these cells have shown the ability to generate cartilage in the disc nucleus in a predictable and consistent basis.”
Degeneration of disc cartilage typically begins in the nucleus, the innermost disc component, and is accompanied by cell death and tissue destruction. NuQu offers a therapeutic solution for early intervention.
Back pain, mostly due to degeneration of the spinal disc, represents one of the most prevalent medical conditions worldwide. To date, no therapy exists that can reverse or heal damaged cartilage in a degenerated disc, leaving surgical intervention as the only option.
In the U.S. alone, surgeons perform more than 400,000 lumbar discectomies and 450,000 spinal fusions each year. Neither procedure addresses the underlying conditions that lead to irreversible disc degeneration; both procedures have significant drawbacks, such as restricted mobility and continued degeneration of affected discs.
“We are encouraged by the results of the UCSF preclinical studies and we believe ISTO’s cell-based therapy may offer a breakthrough for early non-surgical intervention for patients suffering from back pain,” said Mitchell Seyedin, ISTO’s President & CEO.
Previously: [Video Profile] Interview with Mitchell Seyedin, President & CEO of ISTO Technologies