AUTHOR=Chen Qian , Wang Juehan , Xia Qinghong , Wu Lei , Chen Fei , Li Li , Zhu Ce , He Miaomiao , Jiang Yulin , Huang Yong , Ding Hong , Wu Ruibang , Zhang Li , Song Yueming , Liu Liming TITLE=Treatment outcomes of injectable thermosensitive hydrogel containing bevacizumab in intervertebral disc degeneration JOURNAL=Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology VOLUME=10 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2022.976706 DOI=10.3389/fbioe.2022.976706 ISSN=2296-4185 ABSTRACT=

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IDD) is a common musculoskeletal disease and its treatment remains a clinical challenge. It is characterised by reduced cell numbers and degeneration of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Nucleus pulposus (NP) cells play a crucial role in this process. The purpose of this study is to explore the role of bevacizumab, a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor, in the treatment of IDD through local drug delivery. High expression of VEGF was observed in degenerating human and rat IVDs. We demonstrated that MMP3 expression was decreased and COL II synthesis was promoted, when VEGF expression was inhibited by bevacizumab, thereby improving the degree of disc degeneration. Thus, these findings provide strong evidence that inhibition of VEGF expression by local delivery of bevacizumab is safe and effective in ameliorating disc degeneration in rats. The injectable thermosensitive PLGA-PEG-PLGA hydrogels loaded with bevacizumab is a potential therapeutic option for disc degeneration.