Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41341856›Full record

ArticleOsteoarthritis and cartilage open2025

M2a macrophages identified as a potential therapeutic candidate for intervertebral disc herniation regression.

Zorica Buser, Catarina Correia, Melissa Baker, Catarina Meireles, Tiago Castanheira, Pedro Santos Silva, Paulo Pereira, Michael Gerling, Gabriel Courties, Mário A Barbosa and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Osteoarthritis and cartilage open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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.

Zorica BuserDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, USA.
Catarina Correiai3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
Melissa BakerNY Orthopedics, New York, USA.
Catarina Meirelesi3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
Tiago Castanheirai3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
Pedro Santos SilvaDepartment of Neurosurgery, ULS São João, Porto, Portugal.
Paulo PereiraDepartment of Neurosurgery, ULS São João, Porto, Portugal.
Michael GerlingNY Orthopedics, New York, USA.
Gabriel CourtiesInstitute for Regenerative Medicine and Biotherapy, INSERM, U1183, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
Mário A Barbosai3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
Hans-Joerg MeiselDepartment of Neurosurgery, Bergmannstrost Hospital, Halle, Germany.
Carla Cunhai3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is one of the most common spine pathologies and its spontaneous regression has been attributed to the activation of immune cells by inflammatory processes and extracellular matrix remodelling. This study aims to identify a macrophage candidate with potential for physiological treatment of LDH. Study design: Results: A total of 21 samples were included, patient's average age was 48.8 ​± ​12.9 years and the most common levels were L4-5 (42.9 ​%) and L5-S1 (33.3 ​%). After three days co-culture with monocyte-derived macrophages, explants maintained the structure and high proteoglycans/collagen ratio. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that the explants modified the immune profile of macrophages, increasing the proportion of pro-inflammatory CD86 Conclusions: M2a macrophages showed the highest potential towards the design of a macrophage-based therapy for LDH. This study holds great promise for translational medicine aimed at accelerating spontaneous LDH using a physiological treatment that could prevent need for surgical intervention.

Indexed as

Biological treatmentDisc herniationImmunotherapyIntervertebral discLumbar spineMacrophages

Identifiers

PMID41341856
PMCPMC12670895

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.