Cell Reprogramming Strategies for Treating Osteoarthritis and Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Osteoarthritis (OA) and intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) are the most common degenerative bone and joint diseases, posing a major threat to patients' physical and mental health due to the occurrence of chronic pain and disability. Within this context, the absence of efficacious therapies has led to a growing interest in regenerative medicine. In particular, as a method that can erase the memory of differentiation and re-endow cells with pluripotency, cell reprogramming technologies have ushered in a new era of personalized therapy, which not only show great potential for the treatment of degenerative osteoarthropathies but also promise to achieve tissue regenerative and repair. However, compared to other areas of research, reprogramming technologies to treat OA and IVDD are still in the preliminary stages and require further investigation. This paper briefly introduces the characteristics of cell reprogramming; summarizes the pathological mechanisms of reprogramming to improves energy metabolism, aging, inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune imbalance in OA and IVDD under the background of microenvironment and immunity; highlights the significant advantages of reprogramming-derived cells compared to embryonic stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells, based on these advances, providing important strategies for its development and clinical application in OA and IVDD.