Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2025

Software-Assisted Quantitative Measurement of Osteoarthritic Subchondral Bone Thickness
Published on: March 18, 2022
LTF ameliorates cartilage endplate degeneration by suppressing calcification, senescence and matrix degradation
Tao Li1, Yuchi Liu1, Jian Cao1,2
1Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
Abstract:
Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD)-induced cervical and lumbar herniations are debilitating diseases. The function of intervertebral disc (IVD) mainly depends on the cartilage endplate (CEP), which provides support and waste removal. Therefore, IDD stems from the degeneration of CEP. Our study shows that the expression of lactotransferrin (LTF), an iron-binding protein, is significantly decreased in degenerated human and rat CEP tissues. In addition, we found that LTF knockdown promoted calcification, senescence, and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation in human endplate chondrocytes. Furthermore, the in vivo experiment results confirmed that the JAK2/STAT3 pathway inhibitor AG490 significantly reversed these effects. In addition to investigating the role and mechanism of LTF in CEP degeneration, this study provides a theoretical basis and experimental evidence to improve IDD treatment.
Related Concept Videos
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway
TGF - β Signaling Pathway
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The...

