Involvement of DJ-1 in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration via hexokinase 2-mediated mitophagy

Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 27 March 2024; doi:10.1038/s12276-024-01196-0Low back pain, often due to intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD - a condition where the disks in the spine break down), is a common global health problem. Current treatments mainly aim at pain relief and surgery, but effective methods to slow or reverse the degeneration are lacking. This research, led by Jialiang Lin and team, investigates the role of a protein, DJ-1, in protecting nucleus pulposus cells. They conducted experiments with NPCs and discovered that DJ-1 can shield these cells from damage caused by oxidative stress by promoting mitophagy (a process that controls the number and quality of mitochondria - the cell’s energy producers). The study also found that another protein, hexokinase 2 (HK2), helps DJ-1 in this protective role. The results suggest that DJ-1 could be a potential treatment target for IDD.This summary was initially drafted using artificial intelligence, then revised and fact-checked by the author.
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Source Type: research