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Updated: Dec 6, 2025

A Proinflammatory, Degenerative Organ Culture Model to Simulate Early-Stage Intervertebral Disc Disease.
Published on: February 14, 2021
HMGB1-induced autophagy promotes extracellular matrix degradation leading to intervertebral disc degeneration
Biao Fu1, Xia Lu1, Er-Yang Zhao1
1Department of Neurosurgery, The People Hospital of Xin Chang No. 117 Gushan Middle Road, Nanming Street, Xin Chang 312500, Zhejiang, China.
Abstract:
Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) remains a leading cause of adult disability. High mobility group box l (HMGB1) is a nuclear DNA-binding protein and acts as a central mediator of inflammation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of HMGB1 in IDD. In our study, IDD intervertebral disc tissues were collected and nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) were primarily cultured. The HMGB1 expression and the effect of HMGB1 on NPCs and extracellular matrix and autophagy were all evaluated. Results showed that HMGB1 was markedly overexpressed in IDD (P<0.05), and upregulated expression of HMGB1 can inhibit NPC proliferation and promote NPC apoptosis (P<0.05), promote extracellular matrix degradation, and activate cell autophagy (P<0.05). Therefore, we concluded that HMGB1 was up-regulated in IDD and HMGB1-induced autophagy can promotes extracellular matrix degradation and thus lead to intervertebral disc degeneration. In brief, HMGB1 may serve as a novel diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for IDD.
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