To review the advance in the experimental studies and evaluate the potential therapeutic appl ication of the growth differentiation factor 5(GDF-5) and osteogenic protein 1 (OP-1) in intervertebral disc degeneration.Methods Relevant l iterature at home and abroad publ ished in recent years was searched and analyzedcomprehensively. Results The growth factor was one of the most potential proteins in curing the intervertebral discdegeneration. In vitro, exogenous GDF-5 or OP-1 increased the deoxyribonucleic acid and proteoglycan contents ofboth nucleus pulposus and annlus fibrosis cells types significantly. GDF-5 at 200 ng/mL or OP-1 significantly stimulatedproteoglycan synthesis and collagen synthesis. In vivo, the injection of GDF-5(100 μg) or OP-1(100 μg in 10 μL 5% lactose) resulted in a restoration of disc height, improvement of magnetic resonance imaging scores, and histologic grading scores had statistical significance. Conclusion A single injection of GDF-5 or OP-1 has a reparative capacity on intervertebral discs, presumably based on its effect to stimulate matrix metabol ism of intervertebral disc cells and enhance extracellular matrix production. A single injection of exogenous GDF-5 or OP-1 in the degenerated disc shows a good prospect.