ADAM8 inactivation retards intervertebral disc degeneration in mice

ADAM8 has been identified as the fibronectin-cleaving enzyme in human degenerative intervertebral disc(IVD)tissues.1 Increase of the active form of ADAM8 and its cleavage product,fibronectin fragment,correlated with an increased degree of IVD degeneration.1 Furthermore,fibronectin fragments have been shown to accelerate the progression of IVD degeneration.2 These findings suggest that ADAM8 may play a role in degenerative disc disease,a clinical problem with tremendous socioeconomic burdens in the United States.