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Papers of the Week
The Expression of Toll-like Receptors in Cartilage Endplate Cells: A Role of Toll-like Receptor 2 in Pro-Inflammatory and Pro-Catabolic Gene Expression.
Authors
Mengis T, Bernhard L, Nüesch A, Heggli I, Herger N, Devan J, Marcus R, Laux CJ, Brunner F, Farshad M, Distler O, Le Maitre CL, Dudli SAbstract
The vertebral cartilage endplate (CEP), crucial for intervertebral disc health, is prone to degeneration linked to chronic low back pain, disc degeneration, and Modic changes (MC). While it is known that disc cells express toll-like receptors (TLRs) that recognize pathogen- and damage-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs and DAMPs), it is unclear if CEP cells (CEPCs) share this trait. The CEP has a higher cell density than the disc, making CEPCs an important contributor. This study aimed to identify TLRs on CEPCs and their role in pro-inflammatory and catabolic gene expression.