A research team of Coimbatore-based Ganga Hospital has won the Outstanding Paper Award of the North American Spine Society (NASS) in basic science category for 2020.

The research was a molecular level study probing the cause for lumbar disc degeneration, main cause of lower back pain, and attempts to identify molecular targets for biological repair of damaged discs.

The research, “Uncovering molecular targets for regenerative therapy in degenerative disc disease: Do Small Leucine-Rich Proteoglycans hold the Key?” won the award, instituted by NASS and the society’s official research publication The Spine Journal.

Social impact

The study, a pointer to regenerative interventions for lumbar disc degeneration in future, gains significance as lower back pain significantly reduces the quality of life of nearly 70% of the patients worldwide, causing a considerable economic and social impact, said the research team head S. Rajasekaran, chairman, Department of Orthopaedic and Spine Surgery at Ganga Hospital.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Staff Reporter / Coimbatore – June 02nd, 2020