Humans share genes with the lamprey, a fish, and the activation of these genes spontaneously repair spinal cord injuries in animals.
Man descends from ape. And he shares interesting genes with a fish! American researchers have also found genes in humans that are involved in the spontaneous repair of the spinal cord in the lamprey, a species of fish. The results of this study were published in the medical journal Scientific Report.
The lamprey repairs itself
“Scientists have known for years that lamprey can heal spinal cord injuries on their own, but the molecular principle behind this remarkable ability has never been identified,” says Dr. Bloom, associate professor at the Institute. Feinstein, where the research took place.
This fish manages to recover from such an injury within 10 to 12 weeks, which is enough for it to regain its full swimming abilities.
An ancestor in common with humans
The lamprey looks like an eel. Its genetic heritage shows that more than 500 million years ago, this animal species shared an ancestor with humans. “In this study, we determined all the genes that are activated during the healing of the lamprey,” adds the professor.
Certain genes are also part of the Wnt signal, which is important in tissue development and regeneration in several animal species. It will now be necessary to determine whether the regeneration processes in humans are compatible with him for the lamprey.
However, this research represents a hope of finding therapeutic treatments for spinal cord injuries in humans.
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