Engineered microalgae–driven gel platform promotes the repairing of senescence-associated intervertebral disc degeneration in rats and goats

Engineered microalgae demonstrate potent antioxidant effects through reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging.

• Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is associated with oxidative stress and inflammation linked to nucleus pulposus cell senescence.
• The engineered microalgae integrated with a nucleus pulposus-like hydrogel activates platelets to release growth factors that may counteract cellular senescence.
• In vitro, these microalgae can scavenge intracellular ROS, stabilize mitochondrial function, and reduce inflammatory cytokine secretion, potentially alleviating NPC senescence.
• Transcriptomic analysis indicates that the engineered microalgae reduce oxidative stress-related inflammatory responses and downregulate factors associated with cellular senescence.
• In vivo studies show that local injection of the engineered microalgae can delay degeneration induced by needle puncture in rat models.
• In a goat model, the implantation of this therapeutic platform effectively fills disc defects and supports disc repair.

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