Single-cell extracellular vesicle-program scoring maps immunometabolic rewiring and immune crosstalk of mesenchymal stromal cells in intervertebral disc degeneration, prioritizing AP2S1 and CSTB - Takeaways - MDSpire

Single-cell extracellular vesicle-program scoring maps immunometabolic rewiring and immune crosstalk of mesenchymal stromal cells in intervertebral disc degeneration, prioritizing AP2S1 and CSTB

  • By

  • Fengyu Ma

  • Kelv Shen

  • Ziqiang Wu

  • Hanshi Yang

  • Mingzhe Yu

  • Zhendong Huang

  • Fengxuan Han

  • Zhengfeng Lu

  • May 22, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is characterized by immune perturbation and metabolic stress, rather than solely mechanical or aging factors.

  • 2

    Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed a significant increase in extracellular vesicle (EV) program scores in mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from IDD tissues.

  • 3

    Five hub genes, including AP2S1 and CSTB, were identified as key regulators linking MSC EV programs to immune signaling and metabolic stress.

  • 4

    The study established a hub-gene model that effectively distinguished IDD samples from controls, indicating potential biomarkers for IDD.

  • 5

    Docking studies suggested a plausible interaction between CSTB and ripasudil, providing insights for future therapeutic interventions in IDD.

Original Source(s)

Single-cell extracellular vesicle-program scoring maps immunometabolic rewiring and immune crosstalk of mesenchymal stromal cells in intervertebral disc degeneration, prioritizing AP2S1 and CSTB

  • by Fengyu Ma, Kelv Shen, Ziqiang Wu, Hanshi Yang, Mingzhe Yu, Zhendong Huang, Fengxuan Han, Zhengfeng Lu

  • May 22, 2026

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