Single-cell RNA-seq analysis of cells from degenerating and non-degenerating intervertebral discs from the same individual reveals new biomarkers for intervertebral disc degeneration

Low back pain continues to be a major public health problem worldwide. In this study, we used single-cell transcriptomic analysis to identify new specific biomarkers for nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosis (AF) cells and to define cell populations within non-degenerating and degenerating human intervertebral discs (IVD). Freshly isolated human NP and AF cells were separately isolated from non-degenerating (nD) and degenerating (D) discs of the same individual. Isolated cells were subjected to droplet-based single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) using 10X Genomics platform. A total of 3134 (AFD), 3182 (AFnD), 3665 (NPD) and 3918 (NPnD) individual cells were profiled from nD and D discs respectively. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis of human NP and AF cells from non-degenerating (nD) and degenerating (D) discs of the same individual.