AOSpine funds i3S project

"McDISC-Macrophage therapy for intervertebral disc herniation", a project led by researcher Carla Cunha of the Microenvironments for New Therapies group, was recently recognized by the AOSpine Foundation with the AOSpine 2019 Discovery and Innovation Award, worth approximately 40 thousand euros. The main objective of this study is to promote the natural spontaneous repair of herniated discs and will validate an in vivo principle of this repair of hernias.

According to researcher Carla Cunha, McDISC is proposed as "a clinically relevant immunomodulatory therapy that aims to boost the physiological mechanisms of spontaneous repair of the hernia, which could result in a significant advance in the treatment of the spine".

The herniated disc is widely recognized as the main cause of spine surgery. Because it is directly associated with strong morbidity, it has very relevant socioeconomic consequences. It is known that part of the formed disc hernias naturally regress completely or partially without surgery, and it is also known that the inflammatory response is central in the process of spontaneous regression of the herniated disc. It is this process of regression that the team formed by Carla Cunha, Susana Santos and Mário Barbosa, as well as neurosurgeon Paulo Pereira (Hospital de São João), intend to investigate.

For Carla Cunha, winning this award "is synonymous with international recognition of the work we have developed at i3S in conjunction with Hospital de São João to address the problem of degeneration of the intervertebral disc and herniated disc". This award will also enable Carla Cunha to become an associate member of the AOSpine Knowledge Forum Degenerative.

AOSpine brings together a vast worldwide community of surgeons and researchers specializing in the area of spinal degeneration.