How developmental signals keep spinal discs healthy
Official title: Role of Developmental Signaling Pathways in Maintenance of Spinal Discs
Funded at Hospital for Special Surgery · NIH-11077329 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at whether a developmental signal called sonic hedgehog (SHH) helps keep adult spinal discs healthy and prevents age-related disc breakdown.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hospital for Special Surgery NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 15, 2021 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $647,970 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG070079-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11077329 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with degenerative intervertebral disc disease or chronic low back pain, especially those having spine surgery or tissue donation, would be most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
People whose back pain is due to acute injury, nerve disorders unrelated to disc degeneration, or who need immediate pain relief may not directly benefit from this basic/translational research.
What this research studies
The team will combine lab work in mice with analysis of human spinal disc tissue to learn how developmental signals maintain disc cells and structure. They will use genetic mouse models and lineage tracing to track cells that make the SHH signal, and organ culture experiments that mix young and old tissue to test repair potential. High-throughput gene expression techniques will identify which pathways change with age. Human disc samples will be analyzed to compare findings from mice to people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to slow or reverse disc degeneration and reduce chronic back pain.
How similar studies have gone: Prior laboratory and animal studies indicate SHH influences disc cell behavior, but translating these findings into human treatments remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
-
Hospital for Special Surgery
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dahia, Chitra L — Hospital for Special Surgery
- Study coordinator: Dahia, Chitra L
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.