Researchers at Uppsala University have developed a gel inspired by cow slime for patients suffering from disc herniation. By adding the mucin gel immediately after surgery, it is possible to create a protective barrier around the discs to prevent the immune system from attacking their nucleus pulposus. This keeps the discs intact and reduces the risk of further damage.

“This new approach offers hope for those suffering from back pain caused by disc herniation and may prevent further damage after removing herniated discs, potentially improving the quality of life for the patients,” says Hongji Yan, researcher at the Department of Medical Cell Biology at Uppsala University and AIMES (Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences) at Karolinska Institutet, whose study was recently published in Advanced Science.

Herniated discs are a common problem that can cause severe pain and impaired function of the spine. Many people need surgical removal of herniated discs to relieve the pressure on the nerves in the spine. After surgery, most patients are treated with anti-inflammatory drugs or steroid injections to manage pain and swelling. However, as yet there is no treatment that stops the immune system from attacking the leftover disc tissue, which can make the injury worse and cause more pain. This shows a gap in post-surgery care for herniated discs, where new treatments that focus on controlling the immune response could help improve recovery and reduce long-term pain.

Currently, most research focuses on trying to regenerate damaged discs rather than preventing further damage. However, because discs lack blood vessels, have few cells and are subject to constant physical stress, it is very difficult to make these solutions work.

In a new study, researchers explored an innovative solution for post-surgery care aimed at preventing further damage after the surgical removal of herniated discs. They developed a synthetic mucin gel, inspired by the mucus coating of certain parasites, which suppresses immune cell activation at infection sites to prevent immune cell recognition. When applied to the surgical site, this gel prevents further disc damage by stopping immune cells from attacking the nucleus pulposus of intervertebral discs, thanks to its immune-suppressive properties. In contrast, traditional physical barriers like alginate gels failed to provide this level of protection, as demonstrated in the study.

“This approach could have a major impact on surgical procedures, as a simple injection of mucin gels at the surgical site could improve patient outcomes, reduce the risk of long-term complications, and increase the overall success rate of disc surgery,” Hongji Yan concludes.

The research was carried out together with groups led by Song Chen and Bin Li at Soochow University, China, and João F. Mano at the University of Aveiro, Portugal.

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81925027, 32130059, 32271421), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (Grant No. FFL15-0072), the Swedish Research Council – Establishment Grant (Grant No. 2022–04706) and the Swedish Research Council – 3R Grant (Grant No. 2020–02076).