4.1.2. Human IVD Tissue

25 human degenerated lumbar IVD samples were used for direct tissue analysis. These biopsies were obtained from 20 donors [mean age = 46.2 years (16–76 years); nine male and eleven female] undergoing elective spinal surgery. IVD samples were intraoperatively separated into annulus fibrosus (AF, *n* = 11) and nucleus pulposus (NP, *n* = 14), followed by macroscopic tissue evaluation. The assessment of the disease state was performed using Pfirrmann and Modic grading. Demographic details are shown in Table 3—Tissue and [19]. An additional 30 lumbar degenerated IVDs, removed during surgeries for disc herniation (DH) or degenerative disc disease (DDD), were used for preparation of primary cell cultures. All of the biopsies were obtained with patient's informed consents. The Ethics Committee of Cantons Zurich and Lucerne approved the study (#1007). Demographic details are shown in Table 3—Cells.

**Table 3.** Donors used for tissue and cell culture analyses. DH = herniation, DDD = degenerative disc disease, AF = annulus fibrosus, NP = nucleus pulposus, uk = unknown.



**Table 3.** *Cont*.

LFC4 Fetal IVD cells, Male, 14 weeks: p4 qPCR
