The heterodimeric transcription factor AP-1 composed of members of the c-Fos and c-Jun families of transcription factors, the transcription of inflammatory cytokines, and MMPs is regulated by the transcription factor c-Fos/activator protein-1 (AP-1), and the selective c-Fos/AP-1 inhibitor T-5224 can delay degeneration and attenuate pain in rat models of IDD (Makino et al, 2017), the underlying mechanism may be the landscape changes of SEs in DNP are mediated by c-Fos and AP-1. Here, FOS is linked to intervertebral disk degenerative disorder.