Fig. 8

Schematic of anti-IDD therapeutic effect of TSG-6 secreted by BMSCs. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, activated NF-κB signaling in NPCs through TLR2. Activated NF-κB increased the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and MMPs. BMSCs were activated by the pro-inflammatory cytokines to secrete anti-inflammatory protein TSG-6. TSG-6 secreted by BMSCs suppressed the TLR2/NF-κB signaling pathway in degenerated NPCs