The potential of stem cell niches (SCNs) in the intervertebral disc (IVD) region， which may be of great significance in the regeneration process， was recently proposed. To the best of our knowledge， no previous in vitro study has examined the characteristics of stem cells derived from the potential SCN of IVD (ISN). Therefore， increasing knowledge on ISN-derived stem cells (ISN-SCs) may provide a greater understanding of IVD degeneration and regeneration processes. We aimed to demonstrate the existence of ISN-SCs and to compare their characteristics with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in vitro.

Cell differentiation，Cellular immunophenotype，Intervertebral disc，Mesenchymal stem cells，Stem cell ni