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Helical Body Axis Orientations in Human Embryonic Development.

Sena Fujii1, Shigehito Yamada1,2, Tetsuya Takakuwa1

  • 1School of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.

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|September 5, 2025
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human embryonic development shows significant body axis variability, unlike mice. Left-helical patterns emerge by Carnegie Stage 15, preceding vertebral column formation.

Keywords:
Carnegie StagesMRI analysisbody axis orientationembryonic developmenthuman embryoleft–right orientation

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Human Embryology
  • Morphogenesis

Background:

  • Mouse embryos exhibit a consistent right-handed helical body axis.
  • Human embryonic body axis orientation remains largely undefined.
  • Establishing human embryonic axis patterns is crucial for understanding development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the body axis orientation in human embryos (Carnegie Stages 13-17).
  • To investigate the timing of helical body axis establishment.
  • To explore potential links to left-right asymmetry.

Main Methods:

  • Morphological assessment of human embryos (CS13-CS17) from the Kyoto Collection.
  • Classification of body axis orientation into right-helical (RH), left-helical (LH), and middle (M) patterns.
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for detailed morphological analysis.

Main Results:

  • Right-helical (RH) orientation was predominant at Carnegie Stage (CS) 13.
  • Left-helical (LH) orientation became dominant from CS15 to CS17.
  • A significant increase in middle (M) pattern embryos was observed, reaching 70% at CS17.
  • Helical body axis establishment occurs before chondrogenesis (CS17-18).
  • Internal organ laterality was consistent across different body axis orientations in later stages.

Conclusions:

  • Human embryonic body axis orientation displays substantial variability, contrasting with the defined pattern in mice.
  • The helical body axis is established early in human development (CS13-CS15).
  • Findings offer insights into human body axis formation and its role in establishing left-right asymmetry.