Abstract: Among the various aspects of the present disclosure is the provision of compositions and methods for the generation of a supporting matrix for cells, such as stem cells and NP cells (and precursors thereof). For example, an NP cell-specific phenotype precursor cell can be an adult NP cell, such as a cell taken from the adult and degenerated intervertebral disc and/or a progenitor cell, such as stem cells, induced pluripotent cells, pluripotent cells, precursor cells, or stromal cells.

Abstract: Described herein are compositions and methods for treatment and prevention of low back pain. The compositions include vectors comprising nucleotide sequences encoding one or more CRISPR-Cas system guide RNAs and a RNA-directed nuclease. The methods include modulating expression of a gene in a cell using said compositions, introducing a CRISPR-Cas system into a cell comprising one or more vectors comprising said compositions, inducing site-specific DNA cleavage in a cell, and treating a subject having lower back pain, and lower back pain caused by degenerative disc disease using the compositions disclosed herein.

Abstract: Described herein are compositions and methods for treatment and prevention of low back pain. The compositions include vectors comprising nucleotide sequences encoding one or more CRISPR-Cas system guide RNAs and a RNA-directed nuclease. The methods include modulating expression of a gene in a cell using said compositions, introducing a CRISPR-Cas system into a cell comprising one or more vectors comprising said compositions, inducing site-specific DNA cleavage in a cell, and treating a subject having lower back pain, and lower back pain caused by degenerative disc disease using the compositions disclosed herein.

Abstract: A method for delivering a drug depot of a compound of interest to a selected region in a subject. The method comprises administering a composition directly to said region of interest, the composition comprising the compound of interest to be delivered (such as an antiinflammatory agent or a chemotherapeutic agent) and a polymer (such as an elastin-like peptide or ELP) that undergoes an inverse temperature phase transition, so that a sustained release of the compound of interest at the selected region is provided. Compositions useful for carrying out the invention are also described.