Figure 1.

A schematic diagram of the cause of intervertebral disc degeneration and strategies to reduce disc degeneration and promote disc regeneration. (A) Nutritional, environmental, and genetic factors have caused changes in collagen and proteoglycan (PG) and the composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in nucleus pulposus (NP), resulting in a decrease in aggrecan and pH and loss of hydration, which systematically and functionally destroyed NP. (B) Regeneration of degenerated disc could be induced by an increase in anabolism and a decrease in disc degeneration could be induced by a decrease in catabolism.