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Abcc6 Null Mice-A Model For Mineralization Disorder Pxe Shows Vertebral Osteopenia Without Enhanced Intervertebral Disc Calcification With Aging, Paige K Boneski, Vedavathi Madhu, Ryan Tomlinson, Irving Shapiro, Koen Van De Wetering, Makarand V Risbud

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Chronic low back pain is a highly prevalent health condition intricately linked to intervertebral disc degeneration. One of the prominent features of disc degeneration that is commonly observed with aging is dystrophic calcification. ATP-binding cassette sub-family C member 6 (ABCC6), a presumed ATP efflux transporter, is a key regulator of systemic levels of the mineralization inhibitor pyrophosphate (PPi). Mutations in ABCC6 result in pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), a progressive human metabolic disorder characterized by mineralization of the skin and elastic tissues. The implications of ABCC6 loss-of-function on pathological mineralization of structures in the spine, however, are unknown. Using the Abcc6 -/- …