Periostin as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for intervertebral disc degeneration

The pathophysiology of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), a condition associated with significant morbidity, remains incompletely elucidated. Identification of key proteins that drive IDD progression is crucial for developing effective strategies to mitigate disease advancement. In this study, we discovered that periostin (POSTN) play an important role in IDD through the bioinformatic analysis, and confirmed its presentation in patient nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues and serum samples. Additionally, the serum POSTN level is positively correlated with IDD. To further investigate the functions of POSTN, the nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) were isolated and stimulated with 10 ng/mL tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) for 48 h as the in vitro disease model. And evaluated by qPCR, western blots, immunofluorescence (IF) staining, transmission electron microscopy and transcriptome sequencing. The data demonstrated that POSTN promotes IDD by inhibiting autophagy in NPCs. The results were validated in vivo through the caudal vertebra needle puncture model of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, with X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, safranin O-fast green staining, and immunohistochemical staining. In summary, this study demonstrated that POSTN has potential to be a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for IDD treatment.