Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Dec 26, 2021; 13(12): 1881-1904
Published online Dec 26, 2021. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v13.i12.1881
Regulating the fate of stem cells for regenerating the intervertebral disc degeneration
Sobia Ekram, Shumaila Khalid, Asmat Salim, Irfan Khan
Sobia Ekram, Shumaila Khalid, Asmat Salim, Irfan Khan, Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Sindh, Pakistan
Author contributions: Ekram S prepared the first draft; Khalid S reviewed the literature and helped in writing; Salim A evaluated, analyzed, and assisted in writing; Khan I conceptualized and finalized the article.
Supported by Higher Education Commission, Pakistan, No. 7083.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Irfan Khan, PhD, Assistant Professor, Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, University Road, Karachi 75270, Sindh, Pakistan. khan@iccs.edu
Received: June 4, 2021
Peer-review started: June 4, 2021
First decision: June 23, 2021
Revised: July 12, 2021
Accepted: November 15, 2021
Article in press: November 15, 2021
Published online: December 26, 2021
Processing time: 203 Days and 17.8 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: In this review, we presented a precise overview of the anatomical and molecular structure and surrounding pathophysiology of the intervertebral disc (IVD). Modern therapeutic approaches including proteins and growth factors, cellular and gene therapy, and cell fate regulators are highlighted. In addition, different types of stem cells used for the implantation in IVD are reviewed. Furthermore, small molecules that modulate the fate of stem cells for their differentiation into chondrocytes and notochordal cell types are presented. In conclusion, this review highlights regenerative medicine-based approaches for the regeneration of intervertebral disc degeneration.