Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is considered to be the primary reason for low back pain (LBP), which has become more prevalent from 21 century, causing an enormous economic burden for society. However, in spite of remarkable improvements in the basic research of IVD degeneration (IVDD), the effects of clinical treatments of IVDD are still leaving much to be desired. Accumulating evidence has proposed the existence of endogenous stem/progenitor cells in the IVD that possess the ability of proliferation and differentiation. However, few studies have reported the biological properties and potential application of IVD progenitor cells in detail. Even so, these stem/progenitor cells have been consumed as a promising cell source for the regeneration of damaged IVD. In this review, we will first introduce IVD, describe its physiology and stem/progenitor cell niche, and characterize IVDSPCs between homeostasis and IVD degeneration. We will then summarize recent studies on endogenous IVDSPC-based IVD regeneration and exogenous cell-based therapy for IVDD. Finally, we will discuss the potential applications and future developments of IVDSPC-based repair of IVD degeneration.

中文翻译：

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椎间盘干/祖细胞：椎间盘再生的有希望的“种子”

椎间盘 (IVD) 退变被认为是腰痛 (LBP) 的主要原因，从 21 世纪开始，腰痛变得更加普遍，给社会造成了巨大的经济负担。然而，尽管IVD变性（IVDD）的基础研究取得了显着进步，但IVDD的临床治疗效果仍有待改进。越来越多的证据表明IVD中存在具有增殖和分化能力的内源性干/祖细胞。然而，很少有研究详细报道IVD祖细胞的生物学特性和潜在应用。即便如此，这些干细胞/祖细胞已被用作有希望的细胞来源，用于再生受损的 IVD。在这篇综述中，我们将首先介绍IVD，描述其生理学和干/祖细胞生态位，并表征稳态和 IVD 退化之间的 IVDSPC。然后，我们将总结最近关于基于内源性 IVDSPC 的 IVD 再生和基于外源性细胞的 IVDD 治疗的研究。最后，我们将讨论基于 IVDSPC 的 IVD 退化修复的潜在应用和未来发展。