Abstract

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have been investigated as cellular therapeutics for intervertebral disc degeneration . However, transplanted BMSCs are prone to be damaged. TNF-α is reported to extensively promote degeneration process. Nevertheless, the relationship between BMSCs senescence and TNF-α-induced stress has not been elucidated. Previous studies showed that mitophagy is a crucial factor in maintaining cellular homeostasis . Hence, we sought to clarify the role and mechanism of mitophagy in TNF-α-induced biological changes of BMSCs. Here, we found that TNF-α caused transient senescent damage in the early stage. Meanwhile, Parkin-mediated mitophagy was initiated and weakened the damage through maintaining mitochondria homeostasis. After inhibiting mitophagy by knockdown of Parkin, TNF-α irreversibly caused cellular senescence . These results suggested that Parkin-mediated mitophagy played protective role in BMSCs in response to TNF-α, which could be a crucial therapeutic target in the future.