Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40862709›Full record

ArticleCells2025

An Ex Vivo Intervertebral Disc Slice Culture Model for Studying Disc Degeneration and Immune Cell Interactions.

Eunha G Oh, Li Xiao, Zhiwen Xu, Yuan Xing, Yi Zhang, Parastoo Anbaei, Jialun A Chi, Li Jin, Rebecca R Pompano, Xudong Li

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cells, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
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

10 authors.

Eunha G OhDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Li XiaoDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Zhiwen XuDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.ORCID 0009-0007-5301-9468
Yuan XingDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Yi ZhangDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Parastoo AnbaeiDepartment of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Jialun A ChiDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Li JinDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Rebecca R PompanoDepartment of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8644-9313
Xudong LiDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.

Funding

Deciphering Macrophage Phenotype and Function in Disc Herniation and associated Back/leg PainR01AR078888 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · PI XUDONG J. LI · 2022 to 2026
$1.8M
Targeting stage specific influxed monocytes to treat acute and chronic back painR01AR085553 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · PI Li Jin, XUDONG J. LI · 2025 to 2026
$1.1M
Disc-on-a-chip: microfluidic nutrition and biomechanical loading integrated mouse disc culture systemR21AR072334 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · PI LI, XUDONG J. · 2018 to 2019
$391k
An ex vivo system to model the inflammatory microenvironment of human disc herniationR21AR078547 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · PI LI, XUDONG J., POMPANO, REBECCA R · 2021 to 2021
$388k
NIAMS NIH HHS R01 AR078888NIAMS NIH HHS R01 AR085553NIAMS NIH HHS R21 AR072334NIAMS NIH HHS R21 AR078547NIH NIAMS R01AR078888NIH NIAMS R01AR085553NIH NIAMS R21AR072334NIH NIAMS R21AR078547North American Spine Society Basic Research Grant
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Intervertebral disc degeneration is a leading cause of back and leg pain and a major contributor to disability worldwide. Despite its prevalence, treatments remain limited due to incomplete understanding of its pathology. In vivo models pose challenges for controlled conditions, while in vitro cell cultures lack key cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. To address these limitations, we developed a novel tissue slice culture model of mouse discs, in which intact mouse discs were sliced down to 300 μm thickness with a vibratome and cultured ex vivo at various time points. The cell viability, matrix components, structure integrity, inflammatory responses, and macrophage interactions were evaluated with biochemistry, gene expression, histology, and 3D imaging analyses. Disc slices maintained structural integrity and cell viability, with preserved extracellular matrix in the annulus fibrosus (AF) and mild degeneration in nucleus pulposus (NP) by day 5. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) induced disc degeneration manifested by increased glycosaminoglycan release in media and reduced

Indexed as

Cell CommunicationIntervertebral DiscIntervertebral Disc DegenerationTissue Culture TechniquesAnimalsAnnulus FibrosusCell SurvivalExtracellular MatrixMacrophagesMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLNucleus Pulposusback paindisc degenerationintervertebral discsmacrophagestissue slice

Identifiers

PMID40862709
PMCPMC12384586

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.