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Review
. 2021 Jul;54(7):e13057.
doi: 10.1111/cpr.13057. Epub 2021 May 24.

NF-κB signalling pathways in nucleus pulposus cell function and intervertebral disc degeneration

Guang-Zhi Zhang  1   2   3 , Ming-Qiang Liu  1   2   3 , Hai-Wei Chen  1   2   3 , Zuo-Long Wu  1   2   3 , Yi-Cheng Gao  1   2   3 , Zhan-Jun Ma  1   2   3 , Xue-Gang He  1   2   3 , Xue-Wen Kang  1   2   3   4
Affiliations
Review

NF-κB signalling pathways in nucleus pulposus cell function and intervertebral disc degeneration

Guang-Zhi Zhang et al. Cell Prolif. 2021 Jul.

Abstract

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a common clinical degenerative disease of the spine. A series of factors, such as inflammation, oxidative stress and mechanical stress, promote degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the intervertebral discs (IVD), leading to dysfunction and structural destruction of the IVD. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transcription factor has long been regarded as a pathogenic factor of IDD. Therefore, NF-κB may be an ideal therapeutic target for IDD. As NF-κB is a multifunctional functional transcription factor with roles in a variety of biological processes, a comprehensive understanding of the function and regulatory mechanism of NF-κB in IDD pathology will be useful for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies for IDD, which can prevent the progression of IDD and reduce potential risks. This review discusses the role of the NF-κB signalling pathway in the nucleus pulposus (NP) in the process of IDD to understand pathological NP degeneration further and provide potential therapeutic targets that may interfere with NF-κB signalling for IDD therapy.

Keywords: intervertebral disc degeneration; nuclear factor-κB; nucleus pulposus.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Canonical and non‐canonical NF‐κB signalling pathways
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Genes or factors that positively or negatively regulate NF‐κB activation in NP
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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