The objective of our study will be to analyze the interplay between particular VDR variants and its ligand in cells obtained from intervertebral disc and cartilage endplate and their action on cell proliferation and phenotype maintenance. The identification of novel molecular targets in the vitamin D pathway, potentially promoting pathological alterations of the tissues involved in spinal disc diseases, will allow to develop innovative and more personalized preventive and pharmacological/nutritional therapies.

Inclusion Criteria:

patients with spinal disc diseases

• males and females
• 18≤age ≤ 70 years old
• Italian white
• patients with spinal disc diseases that will be surgically treated

Exclusion criteria:

- age < 18 or > 70 years old

patients with spinal disc diseases