手術中のKee Kim医師とそのチーム
進行中の臨床試験で，椎間板を手術で除去した後の骨の増殖促進のために，幹細胞が使われた。脊椎の間にある椎間板に異常が生じ，神経の圧迫などを通じて症状が起こる椎間板ヘルニアのような疾患の治療では，椎間板を除去し脊椎と脊椎を固定する処置が行われる。椎間板の除去でできた空間に骨を再生させるため，患者自身や死亡ドナーの骨組織が移植されるが，うまく脊椎が固定しないことも多い。この試験では，健常者の骨髄由来の幹細胞が頸椎の固定に使われた。固定の失敗による症状の持続や再手術を回避する方法として注目される。（吉田素子）
UC Davis Neurosurgeons Use Adult Stem Cells to Grow Neck Vertebrae
Neurosurgery researchers at UC Davis Health System have used a new, leading-edge stem cell therapy to promote the growth of bone tissue following the removal of cervical discs -- the cushions between the bones in the neck -- to relieve chronic, debilitating pain.
The procedure was performed by associate professors of neurosurgery Kee Kim and Rudolph Schrot. It used bone marrow-derived adult stem cells to promote the growth of the bone tissue essential for spinal fusion following surgery, as part of a nationwide, multicenter clinical trial of the therapy.
Removal of the cervical disc relieves pain by eliminating friction between the vertebrae and/or nerve compression. Spinal fusion is used in surgery for degenerative disc disease, where the cushioning cartilage has worn away, leaving bone to rub against bone, and herniated discs, where the discs pinch or compress nerves.
"We hope that this investigational procedure eventually will help those who undergo spinal fusion in the back as well as in the neck," said Kim, who also is chief of spinal neurosurgery at UC Davis. "And the knowledge gained about stem cells also will be applied in the near future to treat without surgery those suffering from back pain."
Millions of Americans are affected by spine diseases, with approximately 40 percent of all spinal fusion surgery performed for cervical spinal fusion. Some 230,000 patients are candidates for spinal fusion, with the numbers of potential patients increasing by 2 to 3 percent each year as the nation's population ages.
［単語和訳］
Neurosurgeons：脳神経外科医 Adult Stem Cells：成体幹細胞 Neck Vertebrae：頸椎
Neurosurgery：脳神経外科学 researchers：研究者 leading-edge：最先端の therapy：治療 bone tissue：骨組織 removal：除去 cervical discs：椎間板 relieve：～を軽減する chronic：慢性的な debilitating：消耗させる，衰弱させる
associate professors：准教授 bone marrow：骨髄 -derived：～由来の spinal fusion：脊椎固定術 surgery：手術 nationwide：全国的 multicenter：多施設の clinical trial：臨床試験
eliminating：～を除去すること friction：摩擦 nerve compression：神経圧迫 degenerative：変形性の disc disease：椎間板症 cartilage：軟骨 has worn away：摩滅した rub against：～に擦りつけられる herniated discs：椎間板ヘルニア pinch：～を挟む compress：～を圧迫する
investigational：治験中の undergo：～を受ける
spine diseases：脊椎疾患 approximately：約 candidates：候補者
