A recent preclinical study led by researchers at McGill university has diagnosed promising drug applicants—o-Vanillin and RG-7112—that could address chronic low back pain at its source by using eliminating senescent cells, also called “zombie cells,” from spinal discs.
These aged or broken cells accumulate over the years, contributing to infection, tissue breakdown, and chronic pain. Unlike preferred treatments that only alleviate signs, this new method aims to treat the underlying cause of back pain.
• Targeting the supply: The research focuses on senescent cells that build up in spinal discs with aging or injury, triggering ongoing pain and inflammation.
• Stronger together: While both drugs confirmed fine effects when administered individually, the biggest upgrades happened after they were combined.
• Effective oral delivery: Administered by mouth, the drugs efficiently reached spinal discs—a place usually difficult to treat—and helped reverse damage.
Promising Preclinical Results
The drugs had been tested on mice and caused a noticeable reduction in pain and inflammation. After 8 weeks of oral treatment, researchers observed not only more effective relief of symptoms but also signs of disc regeneration.
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“This will be a game-changer,” stated Professor Lisbet Haglund, senior author of the study and co-director of the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory at Montreal’s popular hospital. “Instead of protecting the pain, we’re immediately addressing the cells that motivate it.”
The study was conducted through the Alan Edwards Centre for Studies on Pain at McGill, in collaboration with the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).
Role of this natural compound
Curiously, o-vanillin—a compound derived from turmeric—was not, to begin with, an imperative part of the experiment. The group added it as an exploratory measure because of its known anti-inflammatory effects. The effects showed, for the first time, that o-vanillin can also efficiently eliminate senescent cells from spinal tissue.
RG-7112, already identified for its role in cancer and osteoarthritis research, also confirmed strong potential in this new context. Collectively, the 2 drugs proved more powerful than either alone.