An ECM-mimetic hydrogel for disc repair: reconstituting hypoxia and alleviating NPC senescence to halt intervertebral disc degeneration
In rat and rabbit intervertebral disc degeneration models, a single, minimally invasive injection of the ECM-mimetic HPTC hydrogel preserved the disc height index and magnetic resonance imaging signal intensity, enhanced aggrecan and collagen II deposition, suppressed inflammatory mediators, and elevated HIF-1α while r...