The general objective of this project is to define the transcriptional profile of primary human cells derived from the nucleus pulposus (NP), annulus fibrosus (AF), and cartilaginous endplate (CEP), and to use this information as a reference to assess the biological relevance of a biomimetic spinal unit model obtained through bioprinting. By developing an in vitro model of human origin that incorporates key components of the spinal unit and applying transcriptional analyses to both native cells and their counterparts recovered from the 3D construct, the study will evaluate how accurately the bioprinted model reproduces the identity and heterogeneity of the native discal environment.
Signature of the Informed Consent for the study
Age 30-70 years (included)
Pfirrmann grade III-V
Need to undergo spinal surgery
Presence of HIV, HBC, HCV or TPHA infection
Patient affected by Degenerative Disc disease undergoing spinal surgery
Other
Cross-sectional
Not listed
Discovery of Tissue-Specific Molecular Markers in Intervertebral Disc Cellular Populations
To identify genes that are specifically upregulated in one of the three intervertebral disc cellular populations-nucleus pulposus (NP), annulus fibrosus (AF), and cartilaginous endplate (CEP)-through comparative gene expression analysis of paired samples obtained from the same donors. This aim seeks to determine tissue-specific molecular markers that will be subsequently applied to the characterization of bioprinted intervertebral disc models.
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