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Master thesis / Semester project: Pathophysiology of Modic Changes in Low Back Pain
This project investigates the molecular and cellular changes in Modic changes, a painful and highly prevalent, yet poorly understood spinal pathology. Human bone marrow aspirates will be analyzed with FACS, next-generation RNA sequencing, qPCR, mass spectrometry, Western blotting, and ELISA.
Keywords: Back pain, Modic changes, inflammation, DAMP, gene expression, protein expression
Modic Changes are vertebral bone marrow lesions adjacent to degenerated intervertebral discs and associate with back pain. Despite the high prevalence of Modic changes, there is no targeted treatment for Modic changes because the pathobiology is largely unknown. We will compare fresh human vertebral bone marrow aspirates from Modic changes and from bone marrow aspirates from healthy bone marrow. Only when we know what goes wrong on a molecular and cellular level in Modic changes, then we can start developing targeted treatments. The project is in close collaboration with the Department of spine surgery at Balgrist University Hospital.
Modic Changes are vertebral bone marrow lesions adjacent to degenerated intervertebral discs and associate with back pain. Despite the high prevalence of Modic changes, there is no targeted treatment for Modic changes because the pathobiology is largely unknown. We will compare fresh human vertebral bone marrow aspirates from Modic changes and from bone marrow aspirates from healthy bone marrow. Only when we know what goes wrong on a molecular and cellular level in Modic changes, then we can start developing targeted treatments. The project is in close collaboration with the Department of spine surgery at Balgrist University Hospital.
Our goal is to investigate compositional and functional differences of Modic change and healthy control bone marrow. Bone marrow aspirates will be separated in a cell and plasma fraction. Cells will either be analyzed with FACS, NGS, qPCR or used for in-vitro studies. Plasma will be analyzed with MS, Western blotting, and ELISA.
Tasks: 60% lab work, 20% method development, 20% documentation
Our goal is to investigate compositional and functional differences of Modic change and healthy control bone marrow. Bone marrow aspirates will be separated in a cell and plasma fraction. Cells will either be analyzed with FACS, NGS, qPCR or used for in-vitro studies. Plasma will be analyzed with MS, Western blotting, and ELISA.
University Hospital Zurich, Center for Experimental Rheumatology, Balgrist Campus, Stefan Dudli: stefan.dudli@usz.ch, +41 44 510 75 13, Oliver Distler: oliver.distler@usz.ch
University Hospital Zurich, Center for Experimental Rheumatology, Balgrist Campus, Stefan Dudli: stefan.dudli@usz.ch, +41 44 510 75 13, Oliver Distler: oliver.distler@usz.ch
