SIRT6 loss causes intervertebral disc degeneration in mice by promoting senescence and SASP status.

Intervertebral disc degeneration is a major risk factor contributing to chronic low back and neck pain. While the etiological factors for disc degeneration vary, age is still one of the most important risk factors. Recent studies have shown the promising role of SIRT6 in mammalian aging and skeletal tissue health, however its role in the intervertebral disc health remains unexplored.

Long-term treatment with senolytic drugs Dasatinib and Quercetin ameliorates age-dependent intervertebral disc degeneration in mice.

Intervertebral disc degeneration is highly prevalent within the elderly population and is a leading cause of chronic back pain and disability. Due to the link between disc degeneration and senescence, we explored the ability of the Dasatinib and Quercetin drug combination (D + Q) to prevent an age-dependent progression of disc degeneration in mice. We treated C57BL/6 mice beginning at 6, 14, and 18 months of age, and analyzed them at 23 months of age.

Comparison of inbred mouse strains shows diverse phenotypic outcomes of intervertebral disc aging.

Intervertebral disc degeneration presents a wide spectrum of clinically degenerative disc phenotypes; however, the contribution of genetic background to the degenerative outcomes has not been established. We characterized the spinal phenotype of 3 mouse strains with varying cartilage-regenerative potential at 6 and 23 months: C57BL/6, LG/J and SM/J. All strains showed different aging phenotypes.

TonEBP-deficiency accelerates intervertebral disc degeneration underscored by matrix remodeling, cytoskeletal rearrangements, and changes in proinflammatory gene expression.

The tonicity-responsive enhancer binding protein (TonEBP) plays an important role in intervertebral disc and axial skeleton embryogenesis. However, the contribution of this osmoregulatory transcription factor in postnatal intervertebral disc homeostasis is not known in vivo. Here, we show for the first time that TonEBP-deficient mice have pronounced age-related degeneration of the intervertebral disc with annular and endplate herniations.

Home Visits for Children and Adolescents with Uncontrolled Type 1 Diabetes.

Home-based video visits were provided over one year as a supplement to in-person care for pediatric type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients with suboptimal glycemic control. We hypothesized that the intervention would be feasible and satisfactory for the target population and would significantly improve hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and completion of recommended quarterly diabetes clinic visits. This was a nonrandomized clinical trial.