ReviewJournal of biomedical science2026
TIE2-positive cells in the nucleus pulposus with a purpose: the who, what and why.
Review in Journal of biomedical science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Once thought to be solely involved in vasculogenesis, tyrosine kinase with immunoglobulin-like and EGF-like domains 2 (TIE2) has emerged as a crucial marker of progenitor-like cells in the avascular nucleus pulposus (NP), a tissue with notoriously limited regenerative capacity. Recent evidence suggests that TIE2 + NP cells play a pivotal role in disc tissue homeostasis, influencing extracellular matrix maintenance, cellular renewal, and tissue integrity. However, despite the reported regenerative potential of TIE2 + NP cells, their precise function remains enigmatic. This review consolidates in vivo, in vitro, and transcriptomic studies to validate the presence of TIE2 in the NP as a progenitor cell marker. We unravel the complexity of TIE2 + NP cells across species, highlighting key regulatory mechanisms and interspecies variations (including mice, rats, dogs, cows, sheep, pigs, and humans) that may influence their relevance as clinical- and regenerative therapeutic targets. Yet, methodological inconsistencies across studies continue to obscure our understanding of the precise role of TIE2 in NP cell biology. At present, clinical care is limited to managing pain conservatively or resorting to spinal surgery in severe cases. Thus, there exists an urgent need for innovative regenerative strategies to combat disc degeneration and its associated pain and disability. A range of emerging approaches, including biomaterials, gene therapy, and cell-based therapeutics, are under investigation. Within this context, TIE2 + NP cells are of particular interest as potential therapeutic vectors: as for example candidate cells for transplantation, as populations to be stimulated by biologic interventions, or as building blocks in tissue engineering strategies. As progenitor-like cells, they hold the theoretical potential to provide a sustained source of functional NP cells for disc maintenance and repair. By identifying existing knowledge gaps and proposing future research directions, this review aims to clarify their role and accelerate progress toward unlocking their full therapeutic potential.
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Registered trials
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.