International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Chundo Oh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60012, USA
Interests: disc disease; pain mechanism; cell signaling; animal experiments; epigenetics; temporomandibular disease

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Intervertebral disc diseases are chronic conditions, caused by several factors, which have still not been adequately understood or solved. Categories of these diseases include degenerative changes, subclinical or overt trauma, infectious lesions, inflammatory insults, metabolic disease, and tumors. Current strategies aim to halt or even reverse disc degeneration, restore physiologic disc function, and reduce pain. However, the intervertebral disc is a challenging tissue for regenerative and molecular approaches due to its low cellularity and the harsh microenvironment (e.g., high mechanical loads, low nutrition and oxygen supply, acidic pH), thus limiting the success of techniques that are commonly applied in other fields. Therefore, classical techniques that entail, for example, cells, biomaterials, and/or biological agents need to be modified such that they meet the specific requirements of disc diseases.

This Special Issue will focus on, but not be limited to: (1) the updated evidence regarding the epidemiology, pathophysiology and diagnosis intervertebral disc diseases; (2) biomaterial-based tissue engineering strategies; (3) the role of stem cell and exosomes for intervertebral disc diseases.

Dr. Chundo Oh
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

stem cells
cytokines
degenerative disc disease
disc degeneration
disc herniation
exosomes
genetics
genome engineering
inflammation
ion channels

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

16 pages, 12330 KiB

Open AccessArticle

TMT-Based Proteomics Analysis of Senescent Nucleus Pulposus from Patients with Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

by Guangzhi Zhang, Lei Li, Zhili Yang, Cangyu Zhang and Xuewen Kang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(17), 13236; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241713236 - 26 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1156

Abstract

Lower back pain, a leading cause of disability worldwide, is associated with intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) in approximately 40% of cases. Although nucleus pulposus (NP) cell senescence is a major contributor to IDD, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We collected NP samples from IDD patients who had undergone spinal surgery. Healthy and senescent NP tissues (n = 3) were screened using the Pfirrmann grading system combined with immunohistochemistry, as well as hematoxylin and eosin, Safranin O, Alcian blue, and Masson staining. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified using quantitative TMT-based proteomics technology. Bioinformatics analyses included gene ontology (GO) annotation, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) analyses. In addition, immunofluorescence was used to verify protein expression. In total, 301 DEPs were identified in senescent NP tissues, including 92 upregulated and 209 downregulated proteins. In GO, DEPs were primarily associated with NF-kappaB transcription factor, extracellular regions, cellular protein metabolic processes, and post-translational protein modification. The enriched KEGG pathways included TGF-β, Wnt, RAP1, interleukin-17, extracellular matrix-receptor adhesion, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. PPI analysis demonstrated interactions between multiple proteins. Finally, immunofluorescence verified the expressions of MMP3, LUM, TIMP1, and CDC42 in senescent NP cells. Our study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying senescent NP tissues in IDD patients. DEPs provide a basis for further investigation of the effects of senescent factors on IDD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Pathogenesis of Intervertebral Disc Disease)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Molecular Pathogenesis of Intervertebral Disc Disease

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI