MUC1 and intervertebral disk degenerative disorder: Because of the potential importance of MUC1in disc biology and degeneration, in the present work we searched for expression of MUC1 in human disc tissue and its immunohistochemical localization; we also tested for its expression when annulus fibrosus (annulus) cells cultured in 3D were exposed to either interleukin 1-beta (IL-1ß) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), two proinflammatory cytokines that are well-recognized in disc degeneration [14, 15].