Figure 3.

The regulatory molecules of mitophagy in the resident cell of intervertebral disc and articular cartilage. The molecules described in this review including MFN2, AMPK, SIRT1, SIRT2, SIRT3, FOXO3, NDUFA4L2, A2AR, PHF23, PPARGC1A, circErcc2, and Mir182-5p act as potential upstream regulators of PINK1-PRKN-mediated mitophagy and may represent new therapeutic targets in IVDD and OA. Other mechanisms of mitophagy, such as BNIP3, FUNDC1, BNIP3L or lipid-mediated mitophagy, have not been well studied in IVDD and OA. These topics are essential for a comprehensive understanding of mitophagy in degenerative joint diseases and deserve to be investigated