Lower back pain is one of the leading causes of disability, affecting 11.9% of the population worldwide and studies have shown that intervertebral disc degeneration is a common cause for chronic lower back pain. We have explored the combination of three components, viscoelastic collagen, genipin, and gold nanoparticles to determine its potential to promote regeneration of the intervertebral disc, specifically for nucleus pulposus regeneration. The goal of this study was to develop, fabricate and characterize different formulations of viscoelastic collagen conjugated with gold nanoparticles and genipin to assess the feasibility as a tissue template. Results demonstrated the successful attachment of gold nanoparticles to the viscoelastic collagen utilizing the genipin crosslinker. For each of the viscoelastic collagen compositions examined, cell biocompatibility was achieved. The results also demonstrated an increase in stiffness of the material with different sizes and concentrations of AuNPs. Results from the TEM and STEM also demonstrated that the viscoelastic collagen that was developed did not display the characteristic D banding pattern of polymerized collagen. The findings from this study could lead to the development of a more efficient and cost-effective treatment for patients with chronic back pain caused by IVD degeneration.
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