Figure 4 | Scientific Reports

Figure 4

From: A comparative study of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation and NTG-101 molecular therapy to treat degenerative disc disease

Figure 4

Immunohistochemical analysis of cell specific markers in in vivo rat tail needle puncture model of DDD. Panels show expression of healthy ECM proteins, (a) Aggrecan and (b) Col2A1 in age-matched, uninjured IVD-NPs, NTG-101, rCDSCs, rBMSCs or hUCMSCs injected IVD-NPs. Faint or loss of Aggrecan and Col2A1 expression was observed in PBS or hUCMSCs injected rat IVD-NPs; (c) nuclear expression of notochordal cell marker, Brachyury in age-matched, uninjured IVD-NPs and NTG-101 injected IVD-NPs. (d) Nuclear expression of stem cell marker, Oct4 in age-matched, uninjured IVD-NPs and NTG-101 injected IVD-NPs. Nuclear Brachyury or Oct4 was not observed in majority of the IVD-NPs injected with PBS or MSCs (rCDSC, rBMSCs or hUCMSCs); (e) Nuclear Sox9 was observed in uninjured, healthy IVD-NPs and IVDs injected with vehicle, NTG-101 or MSCs (rCDSC, rBMSCs or hUCMSCs. All images were acquired using bright field Nikon microscope (Nikon Eclipse TE2000-U, Scale bar: 50 µm).

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