Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33748142›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in cell and developmental biology2021

Cartilage Endplate Stem Cells Transdifferentiate Into Nucleus Pulposus Cells via Autocrine Exosomes.

Liwen Luo, Junfeng Gong, Hongyu Zhang, Jinghao Qin, Changqing Li, Junfeng Zhang, Yu Tang, Yang Zhang, Jian Chen, Yue Zhou and 3 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed
5.1field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 42 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Current research on the role of HIF in intervertebral disc degeneration.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026
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  4. [Mechanism of extracellular vesicles in the repair of intervertebral disc degeneration].Sheng wu yi xue gong cheng xue za zhi = Journal of biomedical engineering = Shengwu yixue gongchengxue zazhi · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Liwen LuoDepartment of Orthopaedics, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Junfeng GongDepartment of Orthopaedics, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Hongyu ZhangDepartment of Emergency, Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Jinghao QinDepartment of Orthopaedics, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Changqing LiDepartment of Orthopaedics, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Junfeng ZhangInstitute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China.
Yu TangDepartment of Orthopaedics, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Yang ZhangDepartment of Orthopaedics, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Jian ChenInstitute of Immunology, PLA, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Yue ZhouDepartment of Orthopaedics, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Zhiqiang TianInstitute of Immunology, PLA, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Yao LiuDepartment of Pharmacy, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
MingHan LiuDepartment of Orthopaedics, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Army Medical University · CNXinqiao Hospital · CNSecond Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University · CNSouthwest University · CNUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Stem cells derived from cartilage endplate (CEP) cells (CESCs) repair intervertebral disc (IVD) injury; however, the mechanism remains unclear. Here, we evaluated whether CESCs could transdifferentiate into nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) via autocrine exosomes and subsequently inhibit IVD degeneration. Exosomes derived from CESCs (CESC-Exos) were extracted and identified by ultra-high-speed centrifugation and transmission electron microscopy. The effects of exosomes on the invasion, migration, and differentiation of CESCs were assessed. The exosome-activating hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α/Wnt pathway was investigated using lenti-HIF-1α and Wnt agonists/inhibitors in cells and gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis in normal and degenerated human CEP tissue. The effects of GATA binding protein 4 (GATA4) on transforming growth factor (TGF)-β expression and on the invasion, migration, and transdifferentiation of CESCs were investigated using lenti-GATA4, TGF-β agonists, and inhibitors. Additionally, IVD repair was investigated by injecting CESCs overexpressing GATA4 into rats. The results indicated that CESC-Exos promoted the invasion, migration, and differentiation of CESCs by autocrine exosomes via the HIF-1α/Wnt pathway. Additionally, increased HIF-1α enhanced the activation of Wnt signaling and activated GATA4 expression. GATA4 effectively promoted TGF-β secretion and enhanced the invasion, migration, and transdifferentiation of CESCs into NPCs, resulting in promotion of rat IVD repair. CESCs were also converted into NPCs as endplate degeneration progressed in human samples. Overall, we found that CESC-Exos activated HIF-1α/Wnt signaling via autocrine mechanisms to increase the expression of GATA4 and TGF-β1, thereby promoting the migration of CESCs into the IVD and the transformation of CESCs into NPCs and inhibiting IVDD.

Indexed as

cartilage endplate stem cellsdifferentiationexosomeGATA binding protein 4intervertebral disk degenerationtransforming growth factor-β1

Identifiers

PMID33748142
PMCPMC7970302
OpenAlexW3134590477

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.