Gene therapy relieves back pain, repairs damaged disc in mice

Disc-related back pain may one day meet its therapeutic match: gene therapy delivered by naturally derived nanocarriers that, a new study shows, repairs damaged discs in the spine and lowers pain symptoms in mice. 

Scientists engineered nanocarriers using mouse connective-tissue cells called . 

An estimated 40% of low-back pain cases are attributed to degeneration of the cushiony intervertebral discs that absorb shocks and provide flexibility to the spine, previous research suggests.