Molecular Mechanisms of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: Significance of SPARC Gene Expression.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the role of the SPARC gene in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) using bioinformatics analysis combined with in vitro experiments. METHODS: Single-cell sequencing data from the GEO and CNGBdb databases were analyzed to identify differential SPARC expression across degeneration grades. In vitro, nucleus pulposus cells were treated with LPS and SPARC, followed by RT-qPCR, Western blot, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry to assess gene and protein expression changes. RESULTS: SPARC expression was significantly upregulated in degenerated nucleus pulposus cells and correlated with altered COL2A1 and ACAN expression. CONCLUSION: SPARC may play a key role in IDD pathogenesis, offering a potential therapeutic target for future interventions. These findings contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying IDD and pave the way for targeted therapies.