Serglycin secreted by late-stage nucleus pulposus cells is a biomarker of intervertebral disc degeneration.

ABSTRACT: Intervertebral disc degeneration is a natural process during aging and a leading cause of lower back pain. Here, we generate a comprehensive atlas of nucleus pulposus cells using single-cell RNA-seq analysis of human nucleus pulposus tissues (three males and four females, age 41.14 ± 18.01 years). We identify fibrotic late-stage nucleus pulposus cells characterized by upregulation of serglycin expression which facilitate the local inflammatory response by promoting the infiltration of inflammatory cytokines and macrophages. Finally, we discover that daphnetin, a potential serglycin ligand, substantially mitigates the local inflammatory response by downregulating serglycin expression in an in vivo mouse model, thus alleviating intervertebral disc degeneration. Taken together, we identify la

SUBMITTER: Chen F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10761730 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature