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Updated: May 31, 2026
06:22
Optical Sectioning and Visualization of the Intervertebral Disc from Embryonic Development to Degeneration
Published on: July 8, 2021
A continuous DNA repairing system for alleviating intervertebral disc degeneration
Shuchang Peng1, Yifan Du1, Ruizheng Wang1
1Orthopaedics Department, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China.
Journal of Nanobiotechnology
|May 29, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a novel continuous DNA repair system using nanozymes and vesicles to combat intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) by reducing oxidative stress and promoting tissue repair.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- DNA damage and cellular senescence drive intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD).
- Current IVDD therapies struggle to address DNA damage-induced senescence in nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs).
- Oxidative stress (ROS) is a key trigger for DNA damage and the inflammatory microenvironment in IVDD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a continuous DNA repair strategy for IVDD.
- To investigate the role of oxidative stress in IVDD pathogenesis.
- To create a system that scavenges ROS, repairs DNA, and promotes tissue regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Single-cell sequencing of clinical samples and in vitro modeling to understand IVDD mechanisms.
- Development of a continuous DNA repairing system using bimetallic-curcumin nanozymes (AuCu-Cur) and human umbilical cord-derived vesicles (hUCMSC-EVs).
- In vivo testing using a rat tail needle puncture model to evaluate therapeutic efficacy.
Main Results:
- The AuCu-Cur system effectively scavenges ROS and enhances DNA repair via NEIL3 in NPCs.
- hUCMSC-EVs improved AuCu-Cur bioavailability, promoting DNA replication and tissue repair through the p-JNK pathway.
- The developed system significantly alleviated IVDD in a rat model.
Conclusions:
- This study presents a promising strategy to reverse DNA damage-induced cellular senescence and treat IVDD.
- The continuous DNA repairing system offers a potential therapeutic approach for diseases involving DNA damage and senescence.
- Targeting ROS and promoting DNA repair presents a viable therapeutic avenue for intervertebral disc degeneration.
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