Viscoelastic Hydrogel Promotes Disc Mechanical Homeostasis Repair and Delays Intervertebral Disc Degeneration via the Yes-Associated Protein Pathway.

ABSTRACT: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) process is accompanied by overactive inflammation and mechanical instability of the nucleus pulposus (NP). Current treatments do not fully restore the biomechanical environment of discs, limiting their therapeutic efficacy. Thus, novel strategies are required to combat IDD. Hydrogels have outstanding biocompatibility and mechanical properties, most importantly, absorbing and retaining water similar to human NP tissue, showing a unique superiority in the treatment of IDD. In this study, we employed a viscoelastic ionic hydrogel (VIG) composed of polyvinyl alcohol and magnesium ions to investigate the therapeutic effect for IDD. VIG demonstrated an optimal degradation rate and NP-biomimetic swelling behavior in vitro. In the rat model of IDD, VIG-inject

SUBMITTER: Yu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11876543 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature