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Role of Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in Intervertebral Disk Formation and Maintenance

  • Intervertebral Disk Degeneration and Regeneration (MV Risbud, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

The intervertebral disks (IVD) are an essential component of the spine. Degeneration of the disks, commonly due to age or injury, is a leading cause of chronic lower back pain. Despite its high prevalence, there is no effective treatment for disk disease due to limited understanding of disk at the cellular and molecular level.

Recent Findings

Recent research has demonstrated the importance of the intracellular developmental pathway sonic hedgehog (Shh) during the formation and postnatal maintenance of the IVD. Recent studies corroborate that the down-regulation of SHH expression is associated with pathological changes in the IVDs and demonstrate the reactivation of the hedgehog pathway as a promising avenue for rescuing disk structure and function.

Summary

Understanding the role of developmental signaling pathways that regulate disk formation and maintenance may help develop strategies to recapitulate the same mechanism for disk treatment and hence improve the quality and longevity of patient lives.

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Funding

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number RO1AR065530 awarded to CLD. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The research award from Gerstner Family Foundation and S & L Marx Foundation made to CLD also supported the research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Orthopaedic Soft Tissue Research Program, Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Diviya Rajesh & Chitra Lekha Dahia

  2. Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Chitra Lekha Dahia

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  1. Diviya Rajesh
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Correspondence to Chitra Lekha Dahia.

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Diviya Rajesh and Chitra Lekha Dahia each declare no potential conflicts of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Intervertebral Disk Degeneration and Regeneration

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Rajesh, D., Dahia, C.L. Role of Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in Intervertebral Disk Formation and Maintenance. Curr Mol Bio Rep 4, 173–179 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40610-018-0107-9

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