Design Project: Degenerative Disc Disease

1. Design Project: Degenerative Disc Disease By: Nicholas Mirsky

2. Background Information • Humans are prone to spinal issues • Americans spend 50 billion dollars a year on pain medications. • Overlook extremely important muscles in the back when working out. • DDD, when vertebrae degrades over time causing serious issues.

3. Current Treatment • Physical Therapy • Pain Medication (temp.) • Discectomy Surgery • Lower back strength training.

4. How it Works Annulus Fibrosus Nucleus Pulposus Inner, soft, jelly like nucleus of the disc. Used as a shock absorber for the back. Prone to inflammation and dehydration as degradation occurs. Contains Aggecan, Fibrillar collagens and water. (main components.) • Firm, stabilizing layer • Acts as the dough in a jelly doughnut. • Hold the nucleus in place. • Grows larger and harder as degradation occurs. • Concentric sheets of collagen fibers.

5. How it Works (cont.)

6. DESIGN • Goal: keep disc hydrated over time, preventing the degradation of the disc and to allow for continual shock absorption. • Creation of Aggrecan, a necessary component lost over time, as the collagen increases. • Injected directly as an E. Coli bacterium. • Gene used known as the ACAN Gene.

7. 1. Outside Inducer: Fibrillar Collagen 2. Receptor: Integrin α11β1 3. Operon (Below) 4. Protein channel 5. Secretion of newly created Protein. 6. Happy hydrated disc

8. Operon

9. Protein Channel/ Protein Excretion

10. Potential Issues/ Unresolved Aspects • Require invention of another Bacterium that would break down Collagen over time in miniscule amounts. • Must add water or water substitute for continuous hydration. • E. Coli may not survive well in area of spine, very little known bacteria there.