Sex-specific divergences in the types and timing of infiltrating immune cells during the intervertebral disc acute injury response and their associations with degeneration.

Objective: Inadequate repair of the intervertebral disc (IVD) contributes to low back pain. Infiltrating immune cells into damaged tissues are critical mediators of repair, yet little is known about the identities, roles, and temporal regulation following IVD injury. By analyzing transcripts of immune cell markers, histopathologic analysis, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry, we aimed to define the temporal cascade of infiltrating immune cells and their associations with IVD degeneration.

Single cell RNA sequencing reveals shifts in cell maturity and function of endogenous and infiltrating cell types in response to acute intervertebral disc injury.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration contributes to disabling back pain. Degeneration can be initiated by injury, and progressively leads to irreversible cell loss and loss of IVD function. Attempts to restore IVD function through cell replacement therapies have had limited success due to knowledge gaps in the critical cell populations and molecular crosstalk after injury.

The progression of neurovascular features and chemokine signatures of the intervertebral disc with degeneration.

Inflammatory cytokine production and de novo neurovascularization have been identified in painful, degenerated intervertebral discs (IVDs). However, the temporal trajectories of these key pathoanatomical features, including the cascade of inflammatory chemokines and neo- vessel and neurite infiltration, and their associations with IVD degeneration, remain relatively unknown. Investigating this process in the caudal mouse IVD enables the opportunity to study the tissue-specific response without confounding inflammatory signaling from neighboring structures.

Analysis of Infiltrating Immune Cells Following Intervertebral Disc Injury Reveals Recruitment of Gamma-Delta () T cells in Female Mice.

Inadequate repair of injured intervertebral discs (IVD) leads to degeneration and contributes to low back pain. Infiltrating immune cells into damaged musculoskeletal tissues are critical mediators of repair, yet little is known about their identities, roles, and temporal regulation following IVD injury. By analyzing longitudinal changes in gene expression, tissue morphology, and the dynamics of infiltrating immune cells following injury, we characterize sex-specific differences in immune cell populations and identify the involvement of previously unreported immune cell types, γδ and NKT cells.

The Greifswald Post COVID Rehabilitation Study and Research (PoCoRe)-Study Design, Characteristics and Evaluation Tools.

(1) Background: COVID-19 is often associated with significant long-term symptoms and disability, i.e., the long/post-COVID syndrome (PCS).