title: Research advances in prenatal craniofacial development: report of a conference and review of topics.
abstract: Cell biology techniques are now being applied to classical embryology. Although many of us are afforded the opportunity to see developmental maladies in our practice, the fetal stage at which we examine these patients is often well past the time at which we could have applied the same tools to gain an understanding of the pathogenesis. We can, however, provide the end-stage correlations to naturally or artificially perturbed morphogenesis by directing our examinations to anatomic areas that correlate with those seen in experimental models or which are derived from similar, not necessarily regional, precursors or by similar developmental steps. More importantly, these experimental studies provide us a route (perhaps an escape route) from the blind-ending alleys of the current taxonomy of human malformations and place us squarely on the superhighway to understanding their pathogenesis. We are more likely to develop a greater understanding for the end-stage structure if we have had a glimpse of the blueprints for its design. I recommend the conference proceedings for an in-depth, illustrated treatise on craniofacial development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratories, Children's Hospital and Medical Center, Seattle, Washington 98105.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rutledge
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001685:Biological Factors; D004627:Embryonic Induction; D005145:Face / Q000196:embryology*; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000196:embryology; D006801:Humans; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000196:embryology; D012106:Research; D012886:Skull / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000196:embryology*
chemical_list: D001685:Biological Factors