Spine and Intervertebral Disc Pathology

Multiscale fracture resistance of human annulus fibrosus and its deterioration with degeneration

This study examines how degeneration affects the fracture resistance of human annulus fibrosus through mechanical testing and imaging, finding reduced toughness in degenerate tissue.

Recapitulating the notochord to nucleus pulposus transition from human mesendoderm progenitors in 3D

This study develops a 3D model to recapitulate the transition from human mesendoderm progenitors to nucleus pulposus-like cells using single-cell transcriptomics and spatial profiling.

ZNF865 (BLST) Regulates Back Pain via Cell Senescence and DNA Damage Mechanisms

This study identifies ZNF865 as a regulator of cell senescence and DNA damage in intervertebral discs, showing its role in back pain and potential as a therapeutic target.

Sonic Hedgehog Is An Important Regulator Of Intervertebral Disc Homeostasis And Rejuvenation

This study shows that Sonic Hedgehog signaling is crucial for maintaining intervertebral disc health and can be targeted to treat degeneration.

A novel target associated with senescence and inflammatory signaling in human intervertebral disc degeneration

This study identifies Cx43 as a key regulator of cellular senescence and inflammation in intervertebral disc degeneration, suggesting it as a potential therapeutic target.

Degenerated intervertebral disc environment impairs notochordal cell-derived extracellular vesicles release and their matrix anabolic effect

This study shows that degenerative disc conditions reduce notochordal cell-derived extracellular vesicles release and their ability to promote matrix production in nucleus pulposus cells.

A Porcine Model of Intervertebral Disc Injury Recapitulates Human Discogenic Pain via Notochordal Cell Loss and Pain-inducing Nucleus Pulposus Cell Emergence

This study develops a porcine model of intervertebral disc injury that mimics human discogenic pain through notochordal cell loss and nucleus pulposus cell emergence, validated by MRI, biobehavioral testing, and single-cell transcriptomics.

Effects of lumbar disc injury and nociception on trunk motor control during rat locomotion

This study examines how lumbar disc injury and muscle-derived nociception affect trunk motor control in rats during locomotion, finding localized neuromuscular adaptations without disrupting global movement patterns.

Engineering an in vitro spinal column: Manufacturing designs and emerging solutions for producing an axial mechanobiological system

This paper develops a biomimetic spinal model to study axial mechanobiology and multi-segment coupling, enabling time-dependent adaptations and tissue maturation in vitro.

Patient-specific computational mechanics of functional lumbar spine units

This study quantitatively assesses the impact of different rheological models on the mechanical behavior of a lumbar spinal unit using MRI-derived patient-specific anatomy.

Human hip osteoarthritis-associated Chadl variant induces intervertebral disc degeneration in mice

This study shows that a human hip OA-associated Chadl variant causes intervertebral disc degeneration in mice, with changes in ECM and biomechanics.

Regulation of Nucleus Pulposus Cell Phenotype Through RhoA Signaling and Microenvironment

This study shows that modulating RhoA signaling in NP cells can restore NP-like gene expression and morphology in 2D and 3D cultures, with effects dependent on the microenvironment.

Beyond miRNA cargo profiles: anti-inflammatory roles of extracellular vesicle-enriched miRNAs derived from human intervertebral disc cells unveiled by functional testing

The paper identifies anti-inflammatory miRNAs in extracellular vesicles from human intervertebral disc cells and shows their synergistic effects in reducing inflammation and promoting regeneration.

Mechanical and morphological effects of intervertebral disc injury: a systematic review of in vivo animal studies

This paper reviews in vivo animal studies on intervertebral disc injury, finding significant mechanical and morphological changes, with Youngs modulus as a sensitive marker of degeneration.

Synchrotron Tomography-Based Inversion Pipeline for Estimating Elastic Properties of Rat Vertebral Endplate Finite Element Models

This paper develops an inversion pipeline using synchrotron tomography and digital volume correlation to estimate elastic properties of rat vertebral endplates, showing high spatial agreement between FEM predictions and experimental data.

TRPC6-Mediated Ca2+ Influx Activates MAPK and NF κB Signaling and Elicits Pro-Inflammatory and Catabolic Responses in Human Intervertebral Disc Cells

This study shows TRPC6 activation in human intervertebral disc cells causes calcium influx and activates MAPK and NF-κB pathways, leading to inflammation and catabolic responses.

SIRT6 Activation Improves Intervertebral Disc Health in the Aging Spine

This study shows that activating SIRT6 with MDL-800 improves intervertebral disc health in aged mice by enhancing autophagy, reducing senescence, and improving matrix quality.

Spatiotemporal cellular dynamics of the notochord shape intervertebral disc morphogenesis in the mouse embryo through apoptosis and proliferation

The paper investigates the cellular processes driving notochord transformation into the nucleus pulposus in mouse embryos, identifying proliferation, apoptosis, and vacuolation as key factors.

Mechanism study on lactic acid promoting intervertebral disc degeneration by regulating senescence and DNA damage of cartilage endplate stem cells

This study shows lactic acid promotes intervertebral disc degeneration by causing stem cell senescence and DNA damage through oxidative stress and cell cycle arrest.

Transcriptomic and functional comparison of cells isolated from healthy and degenerated ovine intervertebral discs

This paper compares transcriptomic and functional differences between healthy and degenerated ovine intervertebral disc cells, finding age-related inflammatory and senescence signatures and shared transcriptional modules with human degenerated discs.

The progression of neurovascular features and chemokine signatures of the intervertebral disc with degeneration

This study tracks the temporal changes in chemokine production and neurovascular invasion in mouse intervertebral discs during degeneration following injury.

Understanding the physiological behaviour of disc cells in an in vitro imitation of the healthy and degenerated disc niche

This study develops media formulations to mimic the physiological conditions of healthy and degenerate intervertebral discs and assesses their effects on cell viability and secretome.

A degradable nanofibrous scaffold of poly(ε-Caprolactone-co-Lactide) for annulus fibrosus repair

This paper develops a degradable PCLA nanofibrous scaffold for annulus fibrosus repair, showing accelerated degradation and tissue regeneration in ovine models.

Characterization of zebrafish nucleus pulposus in development and aging: A fish model for probing human intervertebral disc degeneration and regeneration

This paper characterizes zebrafish nucleus pulposus in development and aging, identifying structural features that may inform human intervertebral disc degeneration research.

High-resolution 3-dimensional micro-CT imaging of the nucleus pulposus using a novel contrast agent

This study uses potassium iodide as a contrast agent to enhance micro-CT imaging of the nucleus pulposus in mice and rats, enabling accurate 3D visualization and quantification of disc degeneration.

SDC4 drives fibrotic remodeling of the intervertebral disc under altered spinal loading

This study shows that SDC4 deletion protects against disc degeneration in mice under increased spinal flexion by preserving notochordal features and modulating proteomic pathways.

The transcriptome and secreted factors of the intervertebral discs in STZ HFD Type2 diabetic male mice reveal extensive inflammation

This study examines the transcriptome and secreted factors in intervertebral discs of STZ-HFD T2D mice, revealing increased inflammation and degeneration compared to controls.

Integrative Systems Biology Identifies the AHR Signaling Axis as a Mechanistic Basis for Xiaobi Plaster in Lumbar Disc Degeneration

This study identifies the AHR signaling axis as a key mechanism of Xiaobi Plaster in lumbar disc degeneration using systems biology approaches and experimental validation.

Single cell RNA sequencing reveals a shift in cell function and maturation of endogenous and infiltrating cell types in response to acute intervertebral disc injury

This study uses single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze changes in cell function and maturation in the intervertebral disc after injury, identifying key cell populations and pathways involved in degeneration.

Multimodal imaging reveals multiscale mechanical interplay in vertebral endplate microarchitecture during intervertebral disc loading

This study uses multimodal imaging to examine mechanical strain and microarchitecture in vertebral endplates during intervertebral disc loading, revealing multiscale structural adaptations.