Gene linked with our ‘sixth sense’ identified

Scientists have identified a gene which controls specific aspects of human touch and a “sixth sense” that describes awareness of one’s body in space.

With the help of two young patients, one nine and the other 19 years old, having a unique neurological disorder, scientists found that the gene called PIEZO2 controls specific aspects of human touch and the “sixth sense” called proprioception.

Mutations in the gene caused the two to have movement and balance problems and the loss of some forms of touch. Despite their difficulties, they both appeared to cope with these challenges by relying heavily on vision and other senses.

“Our study highlights the critical importance of PIEZO2 and the senses it controls in our daily lives,” said Carsten G. Bonnemann, from the US National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. “The results establish that PIEZO2 is a touch and proprioception gene in humans. Understanding its role in these senses may provide clues to a variety of neurological disorders,” he said. Bonnemann’s team uses cutting edge genetic techniques to help diagnose children around the world who have disorders that are difficult to characterise.