Intraoperative Baseline Motor Signals as a Predictor of Recovery in Complete Spinal Cord Injury.

Study Design: Retrospective observational study.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to investigate the association between the presence of baseline sensory and motor intraoperative neuromonitoring and follow-up functional improvement in complete SCI.

Summary Of Background Data: During surgery for complete spinal cord injury (SCI), a subset of patients may have present sensory and motor signals at baseline, suggesting that neuronal tracts may be intact as a target for novel therapeutics or even as a prognostic tool for recovery.

Mechanism of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration via the β-Catenin/CCL2 Pathway in Sox9 Conditional Knockout Mice.

Introduction: Degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc (IVD) are known to be a main cause of low back pain (LBP), oftentimes necessitating interventions that may or may not be successful due to a lack of understanding in the degenerative phenotype and its mechanisms. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of disc degeneration can help design new therapies to induce disc regeneration and reduce back pain. This work aimed to understand the effects of conditional deletion of Sox9 in aggrecan-expressing cells on intervertebral disc degeneration and its underlying mechanisms in mice.

Impact of Antidepressant Use on Intraoperative Blood Loss and Transfusion Rates in Lumbar Fusion Surgery.

Objective: A quarter of spine surgery patients take antidepressants. Basic science research has suggested serotonergic antidepressants impair platelet function. This has been supported by only a small number of works in the setting of spine surgery.

Biodegradable Microspheres and Hydrogel Drug Delivery System of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Inhibitor and Growth Differentiation Factor 5 (GDF5) Reduces Disk Inflammation in the Rabbit Model.

Study Design: Preclinical study.

Objective: Develop and test a drug delivery system (DDS) composed of anti-inflammatories and growth factors in the rabbit disk injury model.

Summary Of Background Data: Biological therapies that inhibit inflammation or enhance cell proliferation can alter intervertebral disk (IVD) homeostasis to favor regeneration.

Benign tumors in TSC are amenable to treatment by GD3 CAR T cells in mice.

Mutations underlying disease in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) give rise to tumors with biallelic mutations in TSC1 or TSC2 and hyperactive mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Benign tumors might exhibit de novo expression of immunogens, targetable by immunotherapy. As tumors may rely on ganglioside D3 (GD3) expression for mTORC1 activation and growth, we compared GD3 expression in tissues from patients with TSC and controls.