The scoliosis, a rather mysterious deformity of the spine, is said to be hereditary. This is what a team of Franco-Canadian scientists has just announced in a study.
The researchers analyzed the DNA of a French family, several members of which had scoliosis. First step: a variant in the POC5 gene has been identified. The researchers then used a zebrafish, a vertebrate genetic model, to demonstrate that this genetic variation does indeed cause spinal deformation. Result: successful experience.
A crucial step for people at risk of scoliosis
“Many researchers have been trying for years to find out what causes the disease, especially from a genetic point of view,” explains Dr. Florina Moldovan of the University of Montreal and the CHU Sainte-Justine, co-author of the study.
Several genes have been suspected of causing scoliosis, but the one involved in the familial form remains unknown.
This discovery represents a major breakthrough that could, in the long term, make it possible to identify people at risk in advance.
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