Tbxt alleviates senescence and apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells through Atg7 mediated autophagy activation during intervertebral disc degeneration

This study investigates the role of Tbxt in IDD. The results demonstrate that knockdown of Tbxt exacerbates H 2 O 2 -induced senescence and apoptosis in NPCs and IDD, whereas upregulation of Tbxt significantly protects against IDD both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, in the nucleus, Tbxt enhances the transcription of ATG7, leading to increased expression of ATG7 protein levels. This, in turn, promotes elevated autophagy levels, ultimately alleviating IDD.