Evidence mapPaperPMID 41585494Full record

ArticleiScience2026

PHB2 mitigates intervertebral disc degeneration by modulating mitophagy to inhibit necroptosis in nucleus pulposus cells.

Zhenyu Zhu, Yongcheng Liang, Xiaowen Liu, Fanqi Kong, Kaiqiang Sun, Ximing Xu, Jiangang Shi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in iScience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Zhenyu ZhuDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China.
Yongcheng LiangOffice of Special Operations Medicine, Naval Medical Center of PLA, Navy Medical University, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China.
Xiaowen LiuDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China.
Fanqi KongDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China.
Kaiqiang SunDepartment of Orthopedics, Naval Medical Center of PLA, Shanghai 200052, P.R. China.
Ximing XuDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China.
Jiangang ShiDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai 200003, P.R. China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Intervertebral disc degeneration involves loss of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells driven by inflammatory and mitochondrial stress-related death pathways. Because mitophagy maintains mitochondrial quality, its disruption may influence cell fate during degeneration. Using human tissues, a mouse lumbar instability model, a rat disc puncture model, and human NP cells stimulated with TNF-α, SM-164, and Z-VAD-FMK (TSZ), we examined how mitochondrial quality control shapes necroptotic signaling. Necroptotic cells displayed mitochondrial damage and reduced mitophagy, while mitophagy activation limited necroptosis and preserved extracellular matrix components. We identified the mitochondrial protein PHB2 as a key regulator linking mitophagy to suppression of necroptosis. PHB2 loss impaired mitophagy, disrupted mitochondrial function, and intensified necroptotic death, whereas PHB2 overexpression restored mitophagy, maintained mitochondrial membrane potential, and reduced degeneration.

Indexed as

Biological sciencesCell biologyHealth sciencesMolecular biology

Identifiers

PMID41585494
PMCPMC12824918

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.