This is an archive article published on November 29, 2022

Cutting Edge: How zebra fish holds the key to curing your back pain

Pune scientists find protein in zebra fish that promotes disc regeneration and heals the backbone. Since humans also have the protein, the fish model can help us harness it better, says Dr Chinmoy Patra, senior scientist at Agharkar Research Institute.

5 min readPuneUpdated: Nov 30, 2022 12:09 PM IST

Like humans, aged zebra fish develop natural disc degeneration at the cellular level.

A protein found in the backbone of a zebra fish that helps it heal itself as it gets older may actually regenerate your backbone too. It can get rid of those terrible back and neck pains caused by degenerative discs in your spinal cord. How? The protein is also present in humans and the fish model of regeneration can help us understand how it can be harnessed better by humans too. Which means bye-bye to painkillers and surgical interventions.

Considering the need to develop therapeutics that either stop disc degeneration or induce disc regeneration to get the healthy tissue back in the human spine, scientists at Pune’s Maharashtra Association for Cultivation of Science-Agharkar Research Institute (MACS-ARI) decided to study the zebrafish backbone. In aged fish, they found a protein, CCN2, that regenerates and heals discs in their backbone.

(From left) Amey Rayrikar, Ganesh Wagh and Dr Chinmoy Patra.

Accepted for publication in an international Journal Development, the findings are significant as this CCN2 protein is also present in humans. Dr Chinmoy Patra, senior scientist at ARI, says this regenerative potential of CCN2- (Cellular Communication Network factor 2) can be developed to treat degenerated human discs. Like humans, aged zebrafish develop natural disc degeneration at the cellular level. Dr Patra and his team found that the CCN2 protein promotes disc cell proliferation and survival.

The healing potential of new research

Story continues below. Subscribe to see fewer ads.

Nearly 60 per cent of the adult Indian population suffers from back or appendage pain due to disc degeneration. Most patients are prescribed painkillers, exercise/physical therapy, and lifestyle modifications, which provide symptomatic relief from the pain. Surgical treatments like spine fusion or disc replacement are done in severe cases.

Also read | AI tool twice as likely to diagnose heart condition early, says US study

What is intervertebral disc degeneration?

IVD degeneration (IVDD) is considered a major reason for back, neck and appendage pain, putting a considerable socio-economic burden on the clinical system. Historically, disc degeneration was believed to be associated only with ageing. However, recent studies suggest that it is also linked to genetic and health-related backgrounds. The human spine (backbone) consists of vertebrae, discs (also known as intervertebral discs or IVD) placed between two vertebrae, and a spinal cord running from the head to the end of the spine. In humans, with the progression of age, discs degenerate or become thinner naturally. This leads to lower back pain, neck pain, sciatica, disc hernia and others.

In Nature’s Bone Research journal (Aug 2021), researchers from the University of Bristol showed evidence of osteoporosis in aged zebrafish and said that as the global population ages, a substantial increase in morbidity due to degenerative diseases and back pain was expected. “This increase emphasises the importance of improving our understanding of the causes of IVDD and its relationship with other common degenerative conditions to revise or further develop novel therapeutic strategies,” they said.

Story continues below this ad

Don't miss | Enzyme replacement therapy holds out hope for kids with rare disease

Why use the zebrafish model?

Knowledge of disc pathophysiology is necessary to develop a novel pharmacological strategy to overcome back or appendage pain due to disc degeneration. Since humans can’t be used for experimental study, scientists use a variety of animal models. “Our present study used zebrafish (a small 2.5 to 3 cm long freshwater fish mostly abundant in the paddy field of eastern states of India) as a model organism. Zebrafish carry all the organs present in humans except the lungs and are genetically as well as physiologically pretty similar to humans. Further, similar to humans, their spines also consist of vertebrae, discs and a spinal cord, and discs degenerate. This evidence suggests zebrafish are a suitable animal model to identify pro-regenerative molecules that can induce regeneration in degenerated discs,” Dr Patra says.

Must read | Is your HDL (good cholesterol) an indicator of heart disease risk?

How body processes can heal discs

Scientists sought to explore the processes involved in the maintenance of young discs and the pathophysiology in the aged discs, using zebrafish as a model organism. Their study shows that the structure of zebrafish discs is similar to human discs. Like humans, aged zebrafish develop natural disc degeneration at the cellular level. They found that the CCN2 protein promotes disc cell proliferation and survival. Most importantly, Dr Patra’s team discovered that in aged zebrafish, CCN2 treatment promotes regeneration in the degenerated discs and brings it back to a healthy state. “We found through genetic and biochemical approaches that CCN2a maintains the cell turnover in adult IVDs and can induce regeneration in degenerated IVDs. Our study shows that CCN2a is a crucial secreted molecule in IVD maintenance. This study enriches our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms,” Dr Patra adds.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

📣 For more lifestyle news, click here to join our WhatsApp Channel and also follow us on Instagram

Loading Recommendations...

Sep 15: Latest News

Live Blog