Influence of rabbit notochordal cells on symptomatic intervertebral disc degeneration: anti-angiogenic capacity on human endothelial cell proliferation under hypoxia

The angiogenic capacity of ECs was significantly inhibited by NCs under hypoxia via a VEGF-related pathway. Our results suggest that NCs may play a key role in the development of IVDs by inhibiting vascular growth within the disc, and this may be a promising novel therapeutic strategy for targeting vascular ingrowth in symptomatic DDD.