The ticking that generates the human vertebrae has been reconstructed

The ticking that accompanies the development of the vertebrae in the human embryo was reconstructed for the first time. The rhythm is a gene and the discovery, published in the journal Nature, allows us to understand the way in which cell communication is scanned, providing important indications for correcting some congenital diseases in the future. The research, coordinated by Olivier Pourquie ', from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, is due to the collaboration between the American University of Harvard and the Japanese University of Kyoto.

A new technique that allows to detect images of the living organism in a non-invasive way thanks to a fluorescent protein has made it possible to identify the clock gene, called Hes7, which in vertebrates favors the formation of repetitive structures until completing the formation of vertebrae, occipital column and bones. Research has confirmed that in humans the same process has been observed up to now in other vertebrates, starting from mice.

"We have developed an extremely efficient system with which to analyze the mechanism in humans," noted Pourquie '. "Previously - he added - it would have been impossible to capture the complexity of vertebra development, but now our technique opens up a whole new spectrum of possibilities".