ROS-responsive hydrogel microspheres deliver shTMEM2-loaded liposomes to suppress pyroptosis and ameliorate intervertebral disc degeneration
Zhiqiang Xu, Hanmo Fang, Chengrui Peng, Zhiwei Liao, Guoyu Yang, Hu Qian, Jun Ao, Xinghuo Wu · 2026
Read ROS-responsive hydrogel microspheres deliver shTMEM2-loaded liposomes to suppress pyroptosis and ameliorate intervertebral disc degeneration by Zhiqiang Xu, Hanmo Fang, Chengrui Peng, Zhiwei Liao, Guoyu Yang, Hu Qian, Jun Ao, Xinghuo Wu (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13383542.txt.
Description
Zhiqiang Xu and co-authors build a smart gel delivery system that calms fiery cell death in worn spinal discs, in a 2026 study. Low back pain is among the world's most common complaints. Disc degeneration involves nucleus cells dying by pyroptosis, an inflammatory route. A membrane protein, TMEM2, turned up sharply in degenerated cells. Silencing it eased the cell death.
The protein partners with BAX to open mitochondrial pores. Escaped DNA then triggers an alarm pathway ending in inflammation. Discs lack blood vessels, so drugs must be delivered locally. Gel microspheres that sense oxidative stress carry the silencing cargo. They release liposomes where damage is worst. Spine researchers gain a target plus a delivery vehicle.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Zhiqiang Xu, Hanmo Fang, Chengrui Peng, Zhiwei Liao, Guoyu Yang, Hu Qian, Jun Ao, Xinghuo Wu |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 42 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |