The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
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Low back pain is a frequently occurring disease caused by intervertebral disc degeneration. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a possible treatment modality. Studies have shown MSCs can be transformed into nucleus pulposus-like cells under normoxic conditions. However, this is not a true representation of the hypoxic environment nucleus pulposus cells experience during in vivo growth and differentiation. ⋯ Hypoxic conditions lead to an increased differentiation and proliferation of nucleus pulposus-like cells. Placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells cultured in nucleus pulposus inducing media and a hypoxic environment show enhanced expression of the nucleus pulposus-like cell markers, Sox-9, Type II collagen, aggrecan, and HIF-1α.