Autophagy: A double-edged sword in intervertebral disk degeneration

作者：Zhang, Shu Jun; Yang, Wei; Wang, Cheng; He, Wen Si; Deng, Hai Yang; Yan, Yi Guo; Zhang, Jian; Xiang, Yong Xiao; Wang, Wen Jun^*

来源：Clinica Chimica Acta, 2016, 457: 27-35.

DOI：10.1016/j.cca.2016.03.016

• Autophagy
• IVD
• IDD
• NP
• AF

Autophagy is a homeostatic mechanism through which intracellular damaged organelles and proteins are degraded and recycled in response to increased metabolic demands or stresses. Although primarily cytoprotective, dysfunction of autophagy is often associated with many degenerative diseases, including intervertebral disc (ND) degeneration (IDD). As a main contributing factor to low back pain, IDD is the pathological basis for various debilitating spinal diseases. Either higher or lower levels of autophagy are observed in degenerative IVD cells. Despite the precise role of autophagy in disc degeneration that is still controversial, with difference from protection to aggravation, targeting autophagy has shown promise for mitigating disc degeneration. In the current review, we summarize the changes of autophagy in degenerative ND cells and mainly discuss the relationship between autophagy and IDD. With continued efforts, modulation of the autophagic process could be a potential and attractive therapeutic strategy for degenerative disc disease.

• 出版日期2016-6-1
• 单位南华大学