title: Molecular mechanisms of midfacial developmental defects.
abstract: The morphogenesis of midfacial processes requires the coordination of a variety of cellular functions of both mesenchymal and epithelial cells to develop complex structures. Any failure or delay in midfacial development as well as any abnormal fusion of the medial and lateral nasal and maxillary prominences will result in developmental defects in the midface with a varying degree of severity, including cleft, hypoplasia, and midline expansion. Despite the advances in human genome sequencing technology, the causes of nearly 70% of all birth defects, which include midfacial development defects, remain unknown. Recent studies in animal models have highlighted the importance of specific signaling cascades and genetic-environmental interactions in the development of the midfacial region. This review will summarize the current understanding of the morphogenetic processes and molecular mechanisms underlying midfacial birth defects based on mouse models with midfacial developmental abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic & Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.|Center for Craniofacial Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Center for Craniofacial Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Dhruvee R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Sangani
authors.affiliation: Center for Craniofacial Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Afreen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic & Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.|Center for Craniofacial Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.|The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Iwata
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D008437:Maxilla / Q000196:embryology* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D009666:Nose / Q000196:embryology* / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction
keywords: cell signaling; growth factor; midfacial cleft; midfacial development; neural crest cells