**4. Materials and Methods**

## *4.1. Subjects*

#### 4.1.1. Non-Degenerated Human IVD Tissue

cDNA was synthesized from the non-degenerated human IVD cells, (gift provided by Prof. Lisbet Haglund from the Department of Surgery at McGill University, Canada), and prepared as previously described [51]. Informed consent for tissue collection was obtained from family members and the study was approved through the local ethics committee (A04-M53-08B).
