Sources of human facial shape variability and craniofacial syndromes
2 days ago
- #genetics
- #facial development
- #craniofacial disorders
- Facial shape variability in humans is linked to undifferentiated mesenchymal cells expressing unique 'positional programs'.
- These positional programs act like molecular postal codes, determining future facial features before they physically form.
- A study by Markéta Kaucká's team mapped embryonic face development in mice, linking genes to specific cells and facial features.
- Human genome-wide association studies showed genes for facial variation are enriched in the mesenchyme, not ectoderm or brain signals.
- The findings provide insights into craniofacial disorders and evolution, with an online atlas available for further research.