Galectin‐1 (Gal‐1), a member of the galectin family, may further accelerate IDD through NF‐κB signalling via enzymes that induce inflammatory mediators and ECM catabolism, such as IL‐6, CXCL8 and MMP‐1/3/13102 (Figure 2). Here, CXCL8 is linked to intervertebral disk degenerative disorder.