Researchers discover a system essential for limb formation during embryonic development
Wednesday, June 3, 2020 - 13:20
in Biology & Nature
Researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) have discovered a system that provides cells with information about their position within developing organs. This system, studied in developing limbs, tells cells what anatomical structure they need to form within the organ. The article, published today in Science Advances, shows that malfunctioning of this system causes congenital malformations and could partly explain the effect of thalidomide, a drug contraindicated in pregnancy because it induces limb defects.