A tendon-and-ligament stem cell was overactive in lumbar spinal stenosis; turning down calcium signaling stopped extra growth in mice

What the research found

Study (mouse and human surgical tissue). Lingling Hu, Matthew B. Greenblatt, Sravisht Iyer, and colleagues at Weill Cornell Medicine and Hospital for Special Surgery report in Cell (doi 10.1016/j.cell.2026.08.018; ScienceDaily 28 September 2026; paper dated 7 September). They identified a stem-cell population that self-renews and can make tendon and ligament cells, found in mouse connective tissue and in human samples from kneecap ligament, Achilles tendon, and spine. Ligaments from people with lumbar spinal stenosis held more of these cells than ligaments from people with disc herniation without stenosis. Transplanting stenosis-associated cells into mice made more tendon cells. The cells showed higher calcium signaling; raising that signaling in healthy cells triggered extra tissue growth, and lowering it in a mouse stenosis model blocked abnormal growth. The authors say calcium-channel products already used for blood pressure could be studied, and that trials in people have not been done. Educational notes. This is not a reason to change a blood-pressure plan.

Evidence level: Animal study. Results in animals or cells often don't carry over to people.

Read the original at Weill Cornell Medicine / Hospital for Special Surgery / Cell