ArticleAging cell2019
Chondrocyte-like nested cells in the aged intervertebral disc are late-stage nucleus pulposus cells.
Article in Aging cell, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers.
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Who cites it
56 citing papers in PubMed, 67 citations in OpenAlex.
- Article
- Review
- Article
- The role and potential therapeutic intervention of cellular senescence in intervertebral disc degeneration.Genes & diseases · 2026Review
- Akkermansia muciniphila attenuates intervertebral disc degeneration via extracellular vesicle-mediated delivery of the effector protein B2UKX5.Bone research · 2026Article
- Effects of Age on Intervertebral Disc Tissue Morphology and Gene Expression in the ADAM8-Inactivation Mouse.Cells · 2026Article
- Dasatinib and quercetin senolytic treatment delays early onset intervertebral disc degeneration in SM/J mice.Bone research · 2026Article
- Compression suture: A method for simulating intervertebral disc degeneration in rats induced by excessive loading.Animal models and experimental medicine · 2026Article
- Age and Spinal Level as Predictors of Lumbar Disc Degeneration in Humans and Mice: A Comparative Analysis.JOR spine · 2025Article
- Injury Induces More Severe Biomechanical Changes in Middle-Aged and Geriatric Lumbar Spines in a Mouse Ex Vivo Model.JOR spine · 2025Article
- Dual-Lineage Chondrocyte-Like Cells in the Nucleus Pulposus of Aging Intervertebral Discs Are Accelerated by Hedgehog Signaling Inactivation.Aging cell · 2025Article
- Understanding the Microenvironment of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: A Comprehensive Review of Pathophysiological Insights and Therapeutic Implications.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- SDC4 drives fibrotic remodeling of the intervertebral disc under altered spinal loading.Cell death & disease · 2025Article
- Article
- Chronic Low Back Pain in Young Adults: Pathophysiological Aspects of Neuroinflammation and Degeneration.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Therapeutic strategies for intervertebral disc degeneration: Extracellular vesicles and microRNAs derived from mesenchymal stem cells.World journal of stem cells · 2025Review
- Biomimetic Hydrogels for In Vitro Modelling of Nucleus Pulposus Degeneration: Effects of Extracellular Matrix Compositional Change on Physicochemical Properties and Cell Phenotype.Journal of functional biomaterials · 2025Article
- Dasatinib and quercetin senolytic treatment delays early onset intervertebral disc degeneration in SM/J mice.Research square · 2025Article
- CLEC11A-Driven Molecular Mechanisms in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: A Comprehensive Multi-Omics Study.Journal of inflammation research · 2025Article
- Osteoporosis treatments for intervertebral disc degeneration and back pain: a perspective.JBMR plus · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Aging is a major risk factor of intervertebral disc degeneration and a leading cause of back pain. Pathological changes associated with disc degeneration include the absence of large, vacuolated and reticular-shaped nucleus pulposus cells, and appearance of smaller cells nested in lacunae. These small nested cells are conventionally described as chondrocyte-like cells; however, their origin in the intervertebral disc is unknown. Here, using a genetic mouse model and a fate mapping strategy, we have found that the chondrocyte-like cells in degenerating intervertebral discs are, in fact, nucleus pulposus cells. With aging, the nucleus pulposus cells fuse their cell membranes to form the nested lacunae. Next, we characterized the expression of sonic hedgehog (SHH), crucial for the maintenance of nucleus pulposus cells, and found that as intervertebral discs age and degenerate, expression of SHH and its target Brachyury is gradually lost. The results indicate that the chondrocyte-like phenotype represents a terminal stage of differentiation preceding loss of nucleus pulposus cells and disc collapse.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.