Therapeutic agents for disc degeneration with endoplasmic reticulum stress

摘要

The present invention has shown that endoplasmic reticulum stress correlates with intervertebral disk degeneration, and that an endoplasmic reticulum stress reduction agent, particularly, a PERK inhibitor can ameliorate intervertebral disk degeneration, and backache and other disorders resulting therefrom. In addition, provided is a method for screening a therapeutic drug against intervertebral disk degeneration, the method using, as an index, a change of molecules involved in the NF-κB signal transduction system or the PERK pathway.