A common question amongst scoliosis sufferers, as well as those who suspect that they may be displaying signs of developing the condition, is “Is scoliosis hereditary?“.

 

As many of you will already be aware, most cases of scoliosis are defined as idiopathic, which means that the cause of the spinal curvature is unknown in the majority of patients. Despite this, research into the development of scoliosis has shown that there is a possible genetic link between family members, in cases where there is a family history of scoliosis.

 

Although it may not manifest itself as straightforwardly as other hereditary conditions, it is estimated that around 1 in 4 sufferers will have at least one other family member who also shows signs of scoliosis, and that first-degree relatives of scoliosis patients will have an 11 percent chance of developing the condition themselves. 

 

Although the examination of inheritance patterns has helped to determine that scoliosis is a genetic as well as hereditary condition, it remains unclear which genes are responsible for the curvature itself. It is fairly certain, however, the condition is more likely to affect female family members, due to the prominence of the condition in females over males. For this reason, many believe scoliosis is hereditary but there is still plenty of research that needs to be completed to prove this.

 

At Scoliosis SOS we have treated instances of hereditary scoliosis in the past, in cases such as that of Tina Barlow, who travelled from Florida to receive treatment with us. Just days before her decision to enrol on one of our treatment courses, Tina’s daughter was also diagnosed with scoliosis, which came as an unwelcome revelation to Tina, who had struggled to manage her condition from the age of twelve. Knowing that this would give her daughter a chance at preventing her condition from deteriorating, Tina decided that they would both travel to Scoliosis SOS in order to receive treatment, and we are happy to report that they are both now living pain-free. To read Tina and her daughter’s full story, click here.

 

Tina’s case is a great example of how non-surgical treatment can benefit family cases of scoliosis, as well as sufferers who are concerned about the future health of their children. Thanks to the integration of exercises which can be performed by the patients themselves, our ScolioGold treatment programme provides a lasting method of treatment that can be maintained by scoliosis sufferers, providing patients with the ability and knowledge to treat their symptoms.

 

A couple of months ago, we shared the news that researchers at Hiroshima University in Japan had identified the gene responsible for causing idiopathic scoliosis to develop in certain people. Their findings were based on experiments conducted on zebrafish (a popular choice for genetic research, since they are genetically similar to humans and mutations can be introduced and observed with ease); now, further zebrafish research has yielded another huge clue as to the origins of idiopathic scoliosis in human beings. 

This time around, the findings came not from Japan but from North America. On the 10th of June 2016, Science published a report compiled by researchers from Princeton University (USA) and the University of Toronto (Canda) – here are the two key implications of their findings:

• Idiopathic scoliosis may be linked to the flow of fluid through the spinal column. The researchers bred zebrafish with a genetic mutation that affected cilia development in the ependymal cells lining their spinal canals. Cilia are tiny bristle-like protuberances that help to move fluid through the spine, but the mutated zebrafish developed damaged cilia, which disrupted the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The fish with damaged cilia eventually developed idiopathic scoliosis, suggesting a strong link between CSF flow and spinal curvature.
• The progression of scoliosis can be blocked. The researchers found that, by restoring cilia motility in the mutated zebrafish, they were able to prevent scoliosis from progressing. This was even true when the cilia were restored after the onset of scoliosis, suggesting that science may one day be able to provide a non-invasive, non-surgical means of stopping a curved spine from getting any worse.

As we’ve discussed previously on this blog, the causes of scoliosis are often unclear. However, according to a report from Asian Scientist, we are now one step closer to a solid answer: experiments on zebrafish have linked the development of scoliosis to an overactive gene called LBX1. 

It would seem that too much LBX1 activity can cause the spine to become misshapen as time progresses, resulting in scoliosis. This link is supported by the results of two different experiments:

• #1 – Researchers injected a group of zebrafish embryos with extra LBX1 proteins. In these embryos, the cells that would eventually become the fish’s backbone were notably wider than in embryos with normal LBX1 levels. The LBX1-boosted embryos that survived long enough to do so eventually developed misshapen bones in their backs, resulting in scoliosis.
• #2 – A second group of fish were genetically modified to promote extra LBX1 activity in some cells over the course of their lifetimes. Unlike the other group of embryos, some of these fish developed healthy backbones at first, but the spines still began to display a scoliotic curve as they grew older and entered adulthood.