A recent study conducted by researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard University has revealed how gene variations impacting cartilage cell development can influence adult height. The research, which was published in the journal Cell Genomics, highlights our growth plates, the cartilage found near the ends of our bones that hardens as an individual develops, as playing an integral role in determining our height.
To investigate variations in human height, the research team conducted a screening of 600 million mouse cartilage cells to identify genes that, when deleted, have the ability to alter cell growth and maturation. During the study, the team pinpointed 145 genes which are mostly associated with skeletal disorders and are critical for growth plate maturation and bone formation.
The team then compared these genes with information from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of human height. This comparison highlighted genes that are located in our DNA which likely play a role in influencing our stature. Further investigation revealed that many of the GWAS indicated height genes initiate early maturation in cartilage cells.
These findings suggest that genetic changes impacting on cartilage cell maturation could potentially be influential in determining height. Senior author of the study, Nora Renthal of Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard University, explained that her research could lead to treatments which could intervene at earlier stages of skeletal growth in children.
Boston Children’s Hospital is a paediatric teaching and tertiary referral hospital that has been a pioneer in health care and medical research since 1869. It is the primary paediatric affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and was ranked the top paediatric hospital in the US by US News & World Report in multiple categories.
Nora Renthal is a pediatric endocrinologist who has been affiliated with Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard University for the past several years. She is particularly interested in understanding how bones grow and has conducted extensive research in the area of skeletal diseases. Her work has provided critical insights into gene-growth plate relationships, helping to elucidate how gene variations can influence our height.
This latest research has provided landmark insights into the genetic underpinnings of height, with hope that this understanding will lead to improved treatments and interventions in the future. With further investigation, this could lead to an increased understanding of how hormones can affect cartilage cells, and potentially uncover new genes and pathways playing a role in bone growth.
