Roles of Chemokines in Intervertebral Disk Degeneration

Intervertebral disc degeneration is the primary etiology of low back pain and radicular pain. This review examines the roles of crucial chemokines in different stages of degenerative disc disease, along with interventions targeting chemokine function to mitigate disc degeneration.

The release of chemokines from degenerated discs facilitates the infiltration and activation of immune cells, thereby intensifying the inflammatory cascade response. The migration of immune cells into the venous lumen is concomitant with the emergence of microvascular tissue and nerve fibers. Furthermore, the presence of neurogenic factors secreted by disc cells and immune cells stimulates the activation of pain-related cation channels in the dorsal root ganglion, potentially exacerbating discogenic and neurogenic pain and intensifying the degenerative cascade response mediated by chemokines. Gaining a deeper comprehension of the functions of chemokines and immune cells in these processes involving catabolism, angiogenesis, and injury detection could offer novel therapeutic avenues for managing symptomatic disc disease.