Rajasekaran S, Soundararajan DCR, Tangavel C, et al. - This study was carried out to assess the role of sub-clinical infections in disc disorders and investigate the existence of microbiome in intervertebral discs (IVD). Researchers subjected genomic DNA from 24 lumbar IVDs [8—MRI normal discs (ND) from brain dead yet alive organ donors, 8—disc herniation (DH), 8—disc degeneration (DD)] to 16SrRNA sequencing for profiling the diversity of human disc microbiome in health and disease. They further compared disc microbiome to establish human gut and skin microbiomes. In healthy IVD, study challenges the hitherto concept of sterility and documented a microbiome even in MRI normal healthy discs. Between ND, DD, and DH, the varying abundance of bacteria documents ‘dysbiosis’ as a possible etiology of DD. They distinguished many known pathogens in greater abundance than Propionibacterium acnes, and evidence was recorded for the presence of the gut/skin/spine microbiome axis.