Keele Research Repository

In this review, we discuss some of the challenges in successful cellular repair of the disc. We fi rst review the function, organization, and composition of a normal disc, outline the changes that occur in degeneration, and consider how these might infl uence function. We then summarize cell therapy approaches to repairing the disc in relation to the choice of cells and cell support. We outline the challenges facing the implanted cells in the degenerate disc, and ask whether these therapies can be evaluated in animal models. Finally, we outline the important, but often neglected, problem of patient selection.