Millions of people around the world live with chronic low back pain. This type of pain can last for years and make everyday activities hard. Until now, treatments have mostly focused on reducing pain with medications or surgery. However, these approaches don’t fix the root cause of the problem.
### A Promising New Treatment for Back Pain
Researchers at McGill University have discovered a promising new way to treat back pain. In a study published in *Science Advances*, they showed that two drugs could help eliminate so-called “zombie cells” in the spine of mice.
These zombie cells, also known as senescent cells, are old and damaged cells that do not die as they normally should. Instead, they persist and release harmful substances that cause pain, swelling, and damage in the spine.
### The Research and Its Findings
The study was led by Professor Lisbet Haglund from McGill University and the Montreal General Hospital. Her team tested two drugs:
– **RG-7112**: A cancer drug already approved by the FDA.
– **o-Vanillin**: A natural compound with anti-inflammatory properties found in turmeric.
The drugs were administered orally to mice for eight weeks. Both drugs helped to remove zombie cells from the spinal disks, reduced pain and swelling, and even slowed or reversed disk damage. When used together, the effects were even stronger.
### Why This Discovery Is Exciting
Spinal disks are notoriously difficult to treat because they are located deep inside the body, making it hard for medicines to reach them. Professor Haglund’s team was surprised that a simple pill could reach the spinal disks and promote healing.
Interestingly, o-Vanillin was not originally intended to be a major part of the study. The researchers added it just to see if it might help—and it turned out to be very effective. This is the first time o-Vanillin has been shown to clear zombie cells in this manner.
RG-7112 has already shown potential for treating other diseases linked to zombie cells, such as arthritis and cancer. This study is the first to test it on chronic back pain, suggesting that drugs targeting zombie cells could potentially help treat many age-related conditions, including arthritis and osteoporosis.
### What’s Next?
The research team plans to improve the chemical structure of o-Vanillin to make it stay longer in the body and enhance its effectiveness. Additionally, they aim to start human clinical trials to determine if these drugs have similar effects in people.
While more testing is needed, these early results are very hopeful.
### Conclusion
This new research could change how chronic back pain is treated. Instead of merely masking the pain, these new drugs may actually remove the cells that cause it. If successful in humans, this could lead to safer and longer-lasting treatments for millions of people living with chronic pain every day.
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**If you care about pain management, you might also be interested in these studies:**
– [Chronic morphine use for cancer pain may increase bone loss](#)
– [Scientists find a new hope for chronic pain](#)
– [What you need to know about diabetes and joint pain](#)
– [Understanding the connection between liver disease and joint pain](#)
https://knowridge.com/2025/10/study-discovers-new-way-to-treat-chronic-back-pain/