Bridging the Gap: Understanding Embryonic Intervertebral Disc Development.
Bridging the Gap: Understanding Embryonic Intervertebral Disc Development.
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DOI：
10.4172/2168-9296.1000103
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发表时间：
2012-05
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Sivakamasundari V;T. Lufkin
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Sivakamasundari V;T. Lufkin
间盘(IVD)是一个多组分的结构，由不同种类的细胞组成，形成中央髓核，被纤维环和软骨终板包裹。IVD的基本功能是承受生物机械力，赋予脊柱运动中的抗拉强度和灵活性。椎间盘退行性疾病是一种影响普通人群的流行疾病，通常表现为下腰痛或脊柱畸形，如退行性腰椎侧弯，或在严重情况下表现为椎间盘突出。在通过传统基因敲除策略和自发突变产生的突变小鼠模型的帮助下，科学家们已经能够阐明胚胎IVD发育的一些基本机制。脊索和椎体之间的相互作用有助于IVD的正确形成。在这篇综述中，讨论了这些过程背后的已知和拟议的分子机制以及需要进一步研究的领域。目前对IVD形成的分子机制和IVD变性的病因缺乏足够的了解，这极大地阻碍了为DD设计适当和有效的治疗方法的努力。随着下一代测序技术和更好的基因组工程工具的到来，阐明IVD的形成机制和DD的病理分子基础应该成为研究人员追求的一个吸引人的途径。
The intervertebral disc (IVD) is a multi-component structure consisting of a heterogeneous population of cells that form the central nucleus pulposus, encased by the fibrous annulus fibrosus and the cartilage end-plate. The essential function of the IVD is to withstand biomechanical forces, confer tensile strength and flexibility in motion to the spine. Disc degenerative disease (DD) is a prevalent ailment that affects the general population, often manifesting either in the form of lower back pain or as deformities of the spine such as degenerative lumbar scoliosis or in severe cases as disc herniation. With the aid of mutant mouse models generated through traditional knock-out strategies and spontaneous mutants, scientists have been able to elucidate some of the fundamental mechanisms of embryonic IVD development. Mutual interaction between the notochord and vertebral bodies are instrumental in the proper formation of the IVD. In this review, the known and proposed molecular mechanisms underlying these processes and the areas that require further investigation are discussed. Sufficient knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of IVD formation and the etiology of IVD degeneration is currently lacking and this has greatly hampered efforts to design appropriate and effective therapies for DD. With the dawn of the next-generation sequencing and better tools to engineer the genome, elucidation of the mechanism of IVD formation and the molecular basis of the pathology of DD ought to be an appealing avenue for researchers to pursue.