Identification of mechano-sensitive pathways in intervertebral disc cells

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Intervertebral discs form the soft connective tissue joints located along the length of the spine - required for spinal stabilization, load bearing, and movement. The major function of the intervertebral disc is to act as a shock absorber during mechanical loading. It is composed of distinct yet interdependent tissues including the central nucleus pulposus, which is highly hydrated and provides turgor to withstand compressive loading, and the outer annulus fibrosus which contains the nucleus pulposus and provides resistance to tensile strain. Although daily mechanical loading provides necessary feedback to cells of the disc to maintain the tissue’s integrity, excessive loading contributes to disc degeneration by activating a cascade of non-reversible changes in disc cells that ultimately lead to an inability of the disc to fulfill its physiological function. The responses of specific disc cells to mechanical loading are therefore essential to maintaining a functional disc tissue. The effects of different types of mechanical loading (resulting from normal movement vs. exposure to vibration) on the distinct cell types of the disc are poorly understood, as are the cellular pathways that regulate these responses.