Medics from China and Europe have discovered that the healing of damaged intervertebral discs in patients with herniated discs can be significantly accelerated with the help of injections of synthetic analogs of mucin protein. These injections protect the discs from attack by immune cells, writes the press service of Sweden's Uppsala University. “The approach we have created offers new hope for patients suffering from back pain as a result of the development of intervertebral herniation,” said Yan Hongji, a researcher at the university. He added that it could prevent further damage after removal of the affected discs, which would significantly improve the quality of life of such patients. The scientists reached this conclusion by testing their therapy, which suppresses abnormal immune responses after the removal of damaged discs. These immune system dysfunctions can occur when immune cells begin to perceive the disc's gelatinous nucleus as a foreign substance. The researchers suggested that the problem could be solved by coating the damaged areas of the disc with a gel-like material based on synthetic analogs of the protein mucin. This substance is often used by tumor cells and pathogens as a barrier from the immune system, which has led physicians to the idea of using it to protect the damaged part of the spine.