椎间盘退变(intervertebral disc degeneration,IDD)是骨科常见的脊柱退行性疾病,发病率逐年升高,是导致腰背痛的主要原因之一。由于IDD的病因和病理过程复杂,其分子机制尚未完全阐明,因此目前缺乏明确的靶向治疗方法。Notch信号通路是高度保守的信号转导途径, 参与调节细胞外基质代谢、炎症反应、细胞稳态及椎间盘细胞微环境等生物过程,与IDD 的进展密切相关。本文通过回顾既往文献, 介绍了Notch信号的结构及传导途径, 重点阐述了IDD病理过程中Notch信号表达的变化及其影响, 并对基于Notch信号通路作为IDD治疗靶点的应用现状进行总结, 以期为IDD发病机制研究奠定分子生物学基础,为研发靶向该通路的治疗策略提供理论依据。

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a common degenerative spinal disease in orthopedics, with its incidence increasing year by year. It is one of the main causes of low back pain. Due to the complex etiologies and pathological processes of IDD, its molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated, so there are currently no clear targeted therapeutic approaches. The Notch signaling pathway is a highly conserved signal transduction pathway. It is closely related to the progression of IDD by participating in regulating a series of biological processes such as extracellular matrix metabolism, inflammatory responses, cell homeostasis, and the microenvironment of intervertebral disc cells. By reviewing previous literature, the authors introduced the structure and transduction pathway of Notch signaling, then focused on elaborating the changes in Notch signaling expression and its impact on the pathological process of IDD. In addition, they summarized the current application status of the Notch signaling pathway as a therapeutic target for IDD, aiming to provide an important molecular biological basis for the pathogenesis of IDD and also expected to offer a theoretical basis for the development of therapeutic strategies targeting this pathway.