Researchers at New York City-based Weill Cornell Medicine and Hospital for Special Surgery identified stem cells that may contribute to ligament overgrowth in lumbar spinal stenosis, according to a study published Sept. 7 in Cell.
Researchers found more of the tendon- and ligament-generating stem cells in spinal ligament samples from patients with lumbar spinal stenosis than in samples from patients with herniated discs without stenosis. When transplanted into mice, cells from patients with stenosis also produced more tendon cells, according to a Sept. 25 SciTechDaily report.
The stem cells associated with stenosis showed higher levels of calcium signaling. Researchers found that increasing calcium signaling in healthy ligament stem cells triggered tissue overgrowth, while reducing the signaling in a mouse model of lumbar spinal stenosis blocked cell overgrowth.
The findings raise the possibility that calcium channel blockers, which are already used to treat high blood pressure, could eventually provide a treatment strategy for spinal stenosis. Clinical studies are still needed to determine whether the drugs could treat the condition.
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