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Abstract
Aim: To identify a key competitive endogenous RNA network for intervertebral disc degeneration. Materials & methods: Based on circular RNA, microRNA and mRNA expression profiles of nucleus pulposus cells, a variety of bioinformatics methods were used to screen key molecular structures and construct competitive endogenous RNA networks. Results: 190 upregulated genes and 77 downregulated genes were identified. Gene ontology/Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes functional analysis showed that autophagy was out of balance with apoptosis. Nine hub genes, five hub microRNAs and eight hub circular RNAs were obtained through progressive reverse prediction and verification. Conclusion: We believe that disc degeneration is caused by an imbalance between autophagy and apoptosis in nucleus pulposus cells, which may provide nonsurgical treatment for the future delay or prevention of spinal degenerative diseases associated with intervertebral disc degeneration.
Availability of data & materials
The datasets supporting the conclusions of this article are available in the GEO repository, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to XL Zhan (Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University,) for his kindly assistance in all stages of the present study.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.