Over time, the soft, compressible discs that work as the spine’s shock absorbers break down. Although this intervertebral disc degeneration can occur anywhere along the spine, it mainly happens near the neck and lower back, causing intense pain. (Credit: Aubrey Francisco)[sources]Previous lab research has shown that re-implanting NP cells, or even stem cells, can delay disc degeneration. The researchers developed a gel mix designed to reintroduce NP cells to the intervertebral disc (IVD) site. The researchers worked with postdoctoral scholar Robby Bowles to tag NP cells with the bioluminescent marker luciferase and track their location.