Advances in studies of ncRNAs in the pathophysiology and treatment of spinal disease.

Abstract

Symptoms of spinal disease frequently accompany altered or damaged spine and vertebral structures resulting from endogenous and exogenous factors. Back braces, therapeutic agents, and surgery remain the main treatments for spinal diseases. However, the efficacy of currently available therapeutic agents is limited due to their side effects, whereas back braces and surgeries are less effective for certain patients. The significant effect of spinal disease on patients' morbidity and mortality emphasizes the necessity to develop novel and more effective therapeutic agents that mitigate the consequences of spinal disease. Accumulating research acknowledges that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including miRNAs, lncRNAs, circRNAs, etc., are involved in the pathogenesis of spinal disease, their pronounced therapeutic potential and significant regulatory functions in spinal diseases. Hence, this review focuses on summarizing the latest advances in studies of ncRNAs in the progression and recovery of spinal diseases, as well as highlighting the collaboration of ncRNA networks in treating spinal disease.