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Study to determine the presence of progenitor cells in the degenerated human cartilage endplates

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Abstract

Introduction

Cartilage endplate (CEP) degeneration is usually accompanied by loss of cellularity, and this loss may be a crucial key factor in initiation and development of degenerative disc disease. The study of cell types in degenerated CEP could help in understanding CEP etiopathogenesis, and may help in devising new treatments, especially if the presence of progenitor cells could be demonstrated. The aim of this study was to determine if progenitor cells existed in degenerated human CEP.

Materials and methods

Cells isolated from CEP were cultured in a three-dimensional agarose suspension to screen for proliferative cell clusters. Cell clusters were then expanded in vitro and the populations were analyzed for colony forming unit, immunophenotype, multilineage induction, and expression of stem cell-related genes.

Results

The presence of progenitor cells in degenerated human CEP is indicated by the results of CFU, immunophenotype, multilineage induction, and expression of stem cell-related genes.

Conclusions

We believe that this is the first study which has conclusively shown the presence of progenitor cells in degenerated CEP. The finding of this study may influence the clinical management of degenerative disc disorder.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81071498 and No. 81071496).

Conflict of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedics, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, People’s Republic of China

    Bo Huang, Lan-Tao Liu, Chang-Qing Li, Ying Zhuang, Gang Luo, Shi-Yuan Hu & Yue Zhou

Authors
  1. Bo Huang
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  2. Lan-Tao Liu
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  3. Chang-Qing Li
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  4. Ying Zhuang
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  5. Gang Luo
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  6. Shi-Yuan Hu
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  7. Yue Zhou
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Chang-Qing Li or Yue Zhou.

Additional information

B. Huang and L.-T. Liu are co-first authors.

B. Huang and L.-T. Liu contributed equally to this work.

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Huang, B., Liu, LT., Li, CQ. et al. Study to determine the presence of progenitor cells in the degenerated human cartilage endplates. Eur Spine J 21, 613–622 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-011-2039-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-011-2039-4

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