Researchers Developing Noninvasive Method for Diagnosing Back Conditions

An interdisciplinary research team from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center received a grant to develop the first imaging technique used to identify biomarkers that could indicate patients who have degenerative back conditions. When non-invasive imaging procedures can identify exactly where the biomarkers are, researchers may alleviate the need for painful and invasive, diagnostic procedures and, in the future, provide targeted, stem-cell based therapies to those suffering. As described in the article, published in the journal Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, identifying the exact disc that is the source of pain by employing the latest imaging techniques may save patients from painful and invasive diagnostic procedures, such as injections of contrast agents or non-toxic dyes into a patients’ spinal discs. “Our research team is interested in the role of stem cells in this disease and how we can utilize these cells to regenerate the disc and turn it back into a functional tissue,” said one of the study’s investigators. To read more about this study, click here.