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Genetics and signaling mechanisms of orofacial clefts
Author(s) -
Reynolds Kurt,
Zhang Shuwen,
Sun Bo,
Garland Michael A.,
Ji Yu,
Zhou Chengji J.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
birth defects research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.845
H-Index - 17
ISSN - 2472-1727
DOI - 10.1002/bdr2.1754
Subject(s) - craniofacial , biology , neuroscience , craniofacial abnormality , medicine , orthodontics , anatomy , genetics
Craniofacial development involves several complex tissue movements including several fusion processes to form the frontonasal and maxillary structures, including the upper lip and palate. Each of these movements are controlled by many different factors that are tightly regulated by several integral morphogenetic signaling pathways. Subject to both genetic and environmental influences, interruption at nearly any stage can disrupt lip, nasal, or palate fusion and result in a cleft. Here, we discuss many of the genetic risk factors that may contribute to the presentation of orofacial clefts in patients, and several of the key signaling pathways and underlying cellular mechanisms that control lip and palate formation, as identified primarily through investigating equivalent processes in animal models, are examined.