Transdiscal administration of high affinity anti-MMP inhibitors

Abstract

The present invention relates to injecting a high affinity antagonist of MMPs into a diseased intervertebral disc.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. Ser. No. 10 / 610,355, filed Jun. 30, 2003, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 456,948, filed Jun. 6, 2003, and which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 470,098, filed May 13, 2003. The entire teachings of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The natural intervertebral disc contains a jelly-like nucleus pulposus surrounded by a fibrous annulus fibrosus. Under an axial load, the nucleus pulposus compresses and radially transfers that load to the annulus fibrosus. The laminated nature of the annulus fibrosus provides it with a high tensile strength and so allows it to expand radially in response to this transferred load. [0003] In a healthy intervertebral disc, cells within the nucleus pulposus produce an extracellular matrix (ECM) containing a high percentage of proteoglycans. Th...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022] First, HAAMMPs inhibit the activity of MMPs. Since it is known that MMPs play primary roles in the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the nucleus pulposus, injecting HAAMMPs directly into the disc in a therapeutically effective amount can prevent the MMPs from causing any further ECM degradation. In effect, the transdiscal administration of HAAMMPs helps arrest the aging process of the degenerating disc. Accordingly, the present invention seeks to treat the degenerative disc at a much earlier stage of DDD and thereby prevents degradation of the ECM.

[0023] Second, since the HAAMMP is specific, it does not inhibit non-targeted cells, tissue or proteins. In addition, the HAAMMP may be combined with other therapeutic agents (such as growth factors or mesenchymal stem cells) that can also be injected into the disc without reducing the effectiveness of those agents.

[0024] Third, since the annulus fibrosus portion of the disc comprises a dense fibrosus structure, this outer component of the disc may provide a suitable depot for the HAAMMP, thereby increasing its half-life in the disc.

Problems solved by technology

In other instances of DDD, genetic factors or apoptosis can also cause the cells within the nucleus pulposus to emit toxic amounts of these cytokines and MMPs.

In some instances, the pumping action of the disc may malfunction (due to, for example, a decrease in the proteoglycan concentration within the nucleus pulposus), thereby retarding the flow of nutrients into the disc as well as the flow of waste products out of the disc.

This reduced capacity to eliminate waste may result in the accumulation of high levels of toxins that may cause nerve irritation and pain.

As DDD progresses, toxic levels of the cytokines and MMPs present in the nucleus pulposus begin to degrade the extracellular matrix.

In particular, the MMPs (as mediated by the cytokines) begin cleaving the water-retaining portions of the proteoglycans, thereby reducing its water-retaining capabilities.

This degradation leads to a less flexible nucleus pulposus, and so changes the loading pattern within the disc, thereby possibly causing delamination of the annulus fibrosus.

These changes cause more mechanical instability, thereby causing the cells to emit even more cytokines, typically thereby upregulating MMPs.

As this destructive cascade continues and DDD further progresses, the disc begins to bulge (“a herniated disc”), and then ultimately ruptures, causing the nucleus pulposus to contact the spinal cord and produce pain.

Accordingly, Tobinick does not teach a procedure involving a sustained delivery of a drug for the treatment of DDD, nor directly administering a drug into the disc.

However many anti-inflammatory agents are non-specific and therefore may produce unwanted side effects upon other cells, proteins and tissue.

In addition, the pain-reducing effect of these agents is typically only temporary.

Lastly, these agents typically only relieve pain, and are neither curative nor restorative.