Bone Marrow Stem Cells in Response to Intervertebral Disc-Like Matrix Acidity and Oxygen Concentration Cop

proliferation, sustained cell viability and increased sGAG and Study Design. In vitro culture of porcine bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) in varying pH microenvironments in a threedimensional hydrogel system. Objective. To characterize the response of BMSCs to varying pH environments (blood [pH 7.4], healthy intervertebral disc (IVD) (pH 7.1), mildly degenerated IVD (pH 6.8), and severely degenerated IVD (pH 6.5) in three-dimensional culture under normoxic (20%) and hypoxic (5%) conditions. Summary of Background Data. The IVD is an avascular organ relying on diffusion of essential nutrients through the cartilaginous endplates (CEPs) thereby creating a challenging microenvironment. Within a degenerated IVD, oxygen and glucose concentrations decrease further (<5% oxygen, <5 mmol/L glucose) and matrix acidity (More