Genipin-Based Tissue Modification for Degenerative Disc Disease

Abstract

Testing completed over the previous decade indicates that chemical tissue modification can address the core, underlying problems related to chronic back pain and disability --nutritional deficiency, loss of hydration, and mechanical insufficiency of the disc --while also addressing the cause of pain directly by reducing joint instability and disc bulge under load. These tests have shown that a genipin based collagen crosslinking reagent can be expected to immediately increase hydraulic permeability and macromolecular transport (nutrition), increase retention of proteoglycans (hydration), increase tissue strength, stiffness, fatigue resistance and tear resistance (mechanical insufficiency), increase joint stability and decrease disc bulge under load (pain).