Single cell RNA sequencing reveals emergent notochord-derived cell subpopulations in the postnatal nucleus pulposus.

ABSTRACT: Intervertebral disc degeneration is a leading cause of chronic low back pain. Cell-based strategies that seek to treat disc degeneration by regenerating the central nucleus pulposus (NP) hold significant promise, but key challenges remain. One of these is the inability of therapeutic cells to effectively mimic the performance of native NP cells, which are unique amongst skeletal cell types in that they arise from the embryonic notochord. In this study, we use single cell RNA sequencing to demonstrate emergent heterogeneity amongst notochord-derived NP cells in the postnatal mouse disc. Specifically, we established the existence of progenitor and mature NP cells, corresponding to notochordal and chondrocyte-like cells, respectively. Mature NP cells exhibited significantly higher expression

SUBMITTER: Zhang C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10757564 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature