Abnormalities of the face and skull rank among the most common birth defects in humans. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are taking a systems biology approach to the problem, investigating a series of eight mutant mouse strains that could serve as animal models for deciphering the complex molecular interactions underlying skull development. Mutations in the gene that codes for a novel cell-signaling protein affected skull and spine growth in mice. The strains could serve as models for craniosynostosis, a condition where a child's skull bones grow very fast and fuse prematurely, preventing further brain growth and requiring major skull reconstruction.
Menu