The National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) awarded a $752,620 Project Grant (CFDA 93.846 - Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research) to The Washington University Office of Sponsored Research Services Division. The grant supports the development of injectable alginate hydrogels containing cell-adhesive peptides and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mimetic peptides to enhance the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for intervertebral disc repair. The research aims to improve MSC survival and function within the hostile degenerated disc environment, thereby promoting disc tissue regeneration through stimulation of extracellular matrix synthesis and dampened inflammation. The project will evaluate the optimized hydrogel-MSC constructs through in vitro co-culture experiments with human disc cells and in vivo studies in a rat model of disc degeneration. The grant award period runs from September 2024 through August 2026.
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