An enzyme-proof glycan glue for extracellular matrix to ameliorate intervertebral disc degeneration
Nanjing University School of Life SciencesPeer-Reviewed Publication
A collaborative team from the University of Macau and Nanjing University found, using clinical databases and samples, that the loss of a protein named MFG-E8 in nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue is a factor in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), the leading cause of back pain worldwide. They suspected that MFG-E8 is bound to the glycan matrix in the NP tissue, but increasing the enzymes during IDD cleaves the glycans, releasing MFG-E8 and affecting the cell phenotype. Accordingly, they devised a glycan molecule, called GMOC, that is similar to the native glycan matrix but escapes the cleavage from enzymes that cleave the native glycans. They injected GMOC into rat and rabbit models of IDD and observed amelioration of symptoms, providing new insights for developing therapeutic strategies for future IDD treatment. The study was recently published in Nature Communications (https://rdcu.be/ejPlG).
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Funder
- Science and Technology Development Fund, Macao SAR, National Science Foundation of China, Jiangsu Provincial Science and Technology Plan Special Fund, University of Macau