How the brain and the skull are fitted together

Our tissues use a network to communicate with their neighbours in order to ensure that the brain and spinal cord are matched with the skull and spinal column, during embryonic development, says a new research.

"Our work describes a network of tissue communication events that ensure that the brain stays in the skull and the spinal cord in the spinal column," said Isaac Skromne, principal investigator of the study and assistant professor of biology at the University of Miami.

The current study reports two major findings. First, it reveals that cells at the head-trunk junction communicate with each other not only to convey information on the type of tissue they will become, but also their location.

Secondly, the study finds that signalling the identity and location of the tissues are separate events.

For the study, the researchers analyzed zebrafish embryos, knowing that the findings about the development of this organism would be applicable to other vertebrates.

The researchers hope that their findings will lead to the development of therapies that target these signalling networks, to prevent abnormalities on the head-trunk junction.

The study appeared in the journal Development.