Pain News Network published an article featuring recent research from HSS and Weill Cornell Medicine that found when a certain type of stem cell becomes hyperactive in the lower spine, it can lead to lumbar spinal stenosis – a painful back condition that affects over 100 million people worldwide.

These specialized stem cells help generate and restore tendon and ligament cells – normally a good thing –  but in the lower spine they can grow too rapidly, pressing against nerves in the spinal canal, causing pain, numbness and difficulty walking.

“Given that this cell appears to be the ultimate origin of all tendon and ligament cells, defects in this cell are likely at the heart of a wide range of tendon and ligament disorders,” said Matthew Greenblatt, MD, Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Weill Cornell and co-author of a study published in the journal, Cell.

“This is probably the first work that's shown a potential therapeutic target for one of the most common spine conditions in the world,” said co-author Stravisht Iyer, MD, an Associate Professor of Orthopedics at Weill Cornell and a spine surgeon at HSS. “The findings are exciting for their potential to change the way we deliver spinal care."

“Identifying these specialized stem cells unlocks a new area of research that allows us to address this disease much more mechanistically, rather than just waiting until a patient’s condition worsens and requires surgery to relieve the nerve compression.”

Read the full article at painnewsnetwork.com.