Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from adult tissues are an important candidate for cell-based therapies and regenerative medicine due to their multipotential differentiation capability. MSCs have been identified in many adult tissues but have not reported in the human intervertebral disc cartilage endplate (CEP). The initial purpose of this study was to determine whether MSCs exist in the degenerated human CEP. Next, the morphology, proliferation capacity, cell cycle, cell surface epitope profile and differentiation capacity of these CEP-derived stem cells (CESCs) were compared with bone-marrow MSCs (BM-MSCs). Lastly, whether CESCs are a suitable candidate for BM-MSCs was evaluated. Isolated cells from degenerated human CEP were seeded in an agarose suspension culture system to screen the proliferative cell clusters. Cell clusters were chosen and expanded in vitro and were compared with BM-MSCs derived from the same patient. The morphology, proliferation rate, cell cycle, immunophenotype and stem cell gene expression of the CESCs were similar to BM-MSCs. In addition, the CESCs could be induced into osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, and are superior to BM-MSCs in terms of osteogenesis and chondrogenesis. This study is first to demonstrate the presence of stem cells in the human degenerated CEP. These results may improve our understanding of intervertebral disc (IVD) pathophysiology and the degeneration process, and could provide cell candidates for cell-based regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
Highlights
Low back pain is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical advice and is a major cause of work-related disabilities [1]
The results reveal that CEP-derived stem cells (CESCs) are superior in terms of the osteogenic and chondrogenic capacity in vitro
We excluded the existence of cell types other than chondrocytes and found that some cartilage endplate (CEP)-derived cells formed cell clusters with diameters larger than 50 mm
Summary
Low back pain is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical advice and is a major cause of work-related disabilities [1]. The most common cause of low back pain is degenerative disc disease (DDD) [2]. A possible role of the intervertebral cartilage endplate (CEP) has been pointed out [5]. Proteoglycan molecules are critical for the control of solute transport through the disc, and the depletion of proteoglycans from the CEP is associated with loss of proteoglycans from the NP [6]. Calcification of the CEP or sclerosis decreases the permeability of glucose, oxygen, and other amino acids into the disc, and this lead to DDD [9,10]. CEP degeneration plays a crucial role in the initiation and development of DDD [14].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
