Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39516278›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2024

Single-cell sequencing reveals cellular heterogeneity of nucleus pulposus in intervertebral disc degeneration.

Shu Jia, Hongmei Liu, Tao Yang, Sheng Gao, Dongru Li, Zhenyu Zhang, Zifang Zhang, Xu Gao, Yanhu Liang, Xiao Liang and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

15 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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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

12 authors.

Shu JiaClinical Research Team of Spine & Spinal Cord Diseases, Medical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, 89 Guhuai Road, Jining, 272000, Shandong Province, China.
Hongmei LiuDepartment of Pathology, College of Basic Medicine, Jining Medical University, Taibai Lake New District, 133 Hehua Road, Jining, 272000, Shandong Province, China.
Tao YangDepartment of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, 89 Guhuai Road, Jining, 272000, Shandong Province, China.
Sheng GaoDepartment of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, 89 Guhuai Road, Jining, 272000, Shandong Province, China.
Dongru LiDepartment of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, 89 Guhuai Road, Jining, 272000, Shandong Province, China.
Zhenyu ZhangDepartment of Clinical Medical College, Jining Medical University, 45 Jianshe Road, Jining, 272000, Shandong Province, China.
Zifang ZhangDepartment of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, 89 Guhuai Road, Jining, 272000, Shandong Province, China.
Xu GaoDepartment of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, 89 Guhuai Road, Jining, 272000, Shandong Province, China.
Yanhu LiangDepartment of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, 89 Guhuai Road, Jining, 272000, Shandong Province, China.
Xiao LiangDepartment of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, 89 Guhuai Road, Jining, 272000, Shandong Province, China.
Yexin WangDepartment of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, 89 Guhuai Road, Jining, 272000, Shandong Province, China.
Chunyang MengDepartment of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, 89 Guhuai Road, Jining, 272000, Shandong Province, China. mengchunyang1600@mail.jnmc.edu.cn.

Funding

Key Research and Development Plan of Jining 2022YXNS001National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNational Natural Science Foundation of China 82372477Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Project of Shandong Province M-2022245Youth Project of Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province ZR2021QH059
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The nucleus pulposus (NP) plays a vital role in intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Previous studies have revealed cellular heterogeneity in NP tissue during IVDD progression. However, the cellular and molecular alterations of diverse cell clusters during IVDD remain to be fully elucidated. NP tissues were isolated from patients with different grades of IVDD undergoing discectomy, and then subjected to single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Cell subsets were identified based on unbiased clustering of gene expression profiles. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed to determine the molecular features of diverse cell clusters. Monocle analysis was used to illustrate the differentiation trajectories of chondrocytes. Additionally, CellPhoneDB analysis revealed potential interactions between chondrocytes and other cells during IVDD. Based on the expression profiles of 47,610 individual cells, eight putative clusters including chondrocytes, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, macrophages, mural cells, osteoclasts, proliferating stromal cells and T cells were identified. The chondrocyte cluster was classified into three subsets, C1-C3, which were associated with stress-resistance, fibrosis and inflammatory responses, respectively. Pseudo-time trajectories suggested that chondrocytes gradually differentiated into fibroblasts during IVDD. Immune cells including cDC2s, macrophages and monocytes were identified. Further analysis showed that chondrocytes might communicate with immune cells via the MIF, TNFSF9, SPP1 and CCL4L2 signaling pathways. In addition, we found that invading endothelial cells might interact with chondrocytes through the COL4A1, CXCL12, VEGFA and SEMA3E signaling pathways. Our results reveal the cellular complexity and phenotypic characteristics of NP tissues at single-cell resolution, which will contribute to the in-depth investigation of preventative and regenerative strategies for IVDD.

Indexed as

ChondrocytesIntervertebral Disc DegenerationNucleus PulposusSingle-Cell AnalysisAdultCell DifferentiationFemaleGene Expression ProfilingHumansMaleMiddle AgedSequence Analysis, RNATranscriptomeIntervertebral disc degenerationNucleus pulposusSingle-cell RNA sequencing

Identifiers

PMID39516278
PMCPMC11549379

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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.