Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most prevalent pediatric spine disorder, affecting 3-4% of children worldwide. It develops in the absence of obvious congenital or physiological defects. While some evidence suggests a genetic correlation, the underlying biological causes remain largely unknown. Without a comprehensive understanding of AIS at a biological or physiological level, treatments are limited to physical bracing or invasive corrective surgery. 

In this study, the researchers hypothesized that neuroinflammation-associated reduction-oxidation (redox) imbalances induce cell stress and negatively affect collagen remodeling in the spine. They observed that mutant spines are stiffer, as measured by shear wave elastography, and exhibit deformities in intervertebral structures. 

The team evaluated the structural integrity of the intervertebral disc (IVD) matrix in zebrafish using collagen hybridizing (CHP) stains. The CHP stains appeared stronger during imaging in the mutant sspomh4/+ intervertebral ligament (ILV) compared to the wildtype, highlighting structural irregularities. These stronger stains corresponded with the amount of damaged collagen in the IVD matrix, supporting their hypothesis that redox imbalances induce cell stress and collagen remodeling defects within the intervertebral segments of the developing spine.