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Use of Stem Cells for Regeneration of the Intervertebral Disc

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Book cover The Intervertebral Disc

Abstract

The ability of a tissue to respond to stress or injury requires the involvement and functions of stem cells resident in tissue-specific microenvironmental niches. Aging has been shown to result in a decrease in stem cell number as well as loss of ability to maintain tissue homeostasis and regenerate lost tissue function. Therefore, it is of critical importance to identify stem/progenitor cell populations in different tissues, determine how these cells function in tissue homeostasis, and ascertain their potential utility in tissue engineering.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the staff of the Education and Research Support Center, Tokai University. This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan and a grant from AOSpine International and AO Foundation to D.S.

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Correspondence to Daisuke Sakai MD, PhD .

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Sakai, D., Mochida, J. (2014). Use of Stem Cells for Regeneration of the Intervertebral Disc. In: Shapiro, I., Risbud, M. (eds) The Intervertebral Disc. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1535-0_23

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