New herniated disc treatments on the horizon — maybe
Studies into herniated discs at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center have come up with some interesting, new discoveries. And they may lead to new herniated disc treatmentin the future.The studies demonstrated just how observations in the hospital ward, with real patients, can assist basic scientific research."This really is translational research," said Dr Lynn M. Matrisian, Ph.D., professor and interim chair of Cell Biology at the Center."We designed basic science experiments to understand an intriguing clinical question," he said. "And the discovery that enzymes are important to processing and communication has really changed our thinking about how they function."These enzymes are more complicated and interesting than we originally thought," he admitted. "Rather than being big bulldozers, they’re a fine pair of scissors that only cut certain things."The Center is cautious about saying the research will result in effective, non-surgical treatments for herniated discs, but there is a feeling that new treatments will result from this ground-breaking work.
15 comments May 4th, 2008