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Biologics |
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Biologics
is the commercial application of biotechnology through
the use of purified or synthetic proteins or other biological
materials. The biotechnology industry offers the potential
for truly amazing breakthroughs in nearly all aspects
of medicine. Treatment of the spine is an area of considerable
promise for biologics.
As medical researchers and scientists unravel the genetic
code, it is now practical to replace defective genes or
to grow new body materials or to use bacteria as “factories”
for making new medications. This work has been in ongoing
trials for years and promises startling advances in treating
many different disease processes, including spinal disease.
Fusions are a very common spine operation that may involve
a bone graft. Sometimes bone is harvested from one location
in a patient and then grafted on the spine to place bone
where there was none before.
Advances in determining the genes responsible for bone
growth and reproducing the product of those genes in bacteria
have resulted in devices that act like traditional bone
grafts. These devices replace the need to harvest bone
from the patient. This has reduced the pain and problems
associated with bone graft harvesting and provided a resource
for patients with conditions that inhibit bone healing.
Genetic research is also being applied to discover why
some people get spine problems and some do not. Someday,
we will be able to identify the genes that cause some
spine diseases. Once discovered, it is possible that those
genes may be inhibited from expressing themselves, effectively
preventing disease before it manifests itself.
At a level above the cell, our understanding of the development
and mechanics of the spine is ongoing. Exploration of
how the spine behaves and why, helps to predict how objects,
such as restraint systems and implantable devices, will
work without having to use human subjects. Collaboration
with engineers and computer modelers has made it possible
to experiment on the spine without ever touching a living
being. The potential is that safer devices and techniques
will be available quicker and with less risk.
The National Spine Foundation is committed to expanding
medicine’s knowledge base through research. Ongoing
research into imaging of the spine, examining bone graft
substitutes and evaluation of spinal devices and techniques
are just a few of the areas that we believe show important
promise for the future. |
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