{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T06:18:06Z","timestamp":1787811486081,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":82,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787788800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Degenerative disc disease is characterized by low back pain caused by degeneration of the intervertebral discs. Hydrogels, with favorable biocompatibility and characteristics resembling the nucleus pulposus, have received attention as potential replacement materials. In this study, we developed a tough hydrogel with enhanced mechanical performance and conducted an initial assessment of its feasibility as a nucleus pulposus substitute.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The hydrogel was fabricated by incorporating 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate\u2013treated silk fibers into the core of a polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel.\n                      <jats:italic>In vitro<\/jats:italic>\n                      experiments, including cytotoxicity, cell adhesion and short-term proliferation tests, and mechanical assessments such as swelling, static compression, tensile testing, and dynamic mechanical analysis, were performed. Pilot\n                      <jats:italic>in vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                      studies involved implanting the hydrogel into porcine intervertebral discs, with a 21-day observation period.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results and Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The\n                      <jats:italic>in vitro<\/jats:italic>\n                      results demonstrated no acute cytotoxicity and showed that the hydrogel supports cell adhesion and short-term proliferation, while mechanical testing indicated favorable elastic and viscoelastic properties comparable to those of the native nucleus pulposus. Histological analyses at 21 days indicated that the hydrogel remained within the nucleus pulposus space. These findings suggest that the developed hydrogel exhibits promising biocompatibility and mechanical characteristics; however, further studies are required to fully establish its suitability as a nucleus pulposus replacement for degenerative disc disease.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fbioe.2026.1821701","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T05:33:42Z","timestamp":1787808822000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A preliminary feasibility study of a tough hydrogel as a nucleus pulposus substitute for degenerative disc disease"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Young-Mi","family":"Kang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine","place":["Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Seong-Hwan","family":"Moon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine","place":["Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Byung Ho","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine","place":["Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ji-Won","family":"Kwon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine","place":["Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sahyun","family":"Sung","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Ace Hospital","place":["Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chang-Yk","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Yonsei Leaders Clinic","place":["Incheon, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ja-Yeong","family":"Yoon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chungnam National University Sejong Hospital","place":["Sejong-si, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Soo-Bin","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedic Surgery, International St. Mary\u2019s Hospital, Catholic Kwandong University","place":["Incheon, Republic of Korea"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e6158","DOI":"10.7759\/cureus.6158","article-title":"Using porcine cadavers as an alternative to human cadavers for teaching minimally invasive spinal fusion: proof of concept and anatomical comparison","volume":"11","author":"Abbasi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110974","DOI":"10.1016\/j.eurpolymj.2021.110974","article-title":"Freeze\/Thawed polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels: present, past and future","volume":"164","author":"Adelnia","year":"2022","journal-title":"Eur. 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