Discovery May Help in Finding Cause of Cleft Lip and Palate

Research Cited in Scientific Journal, Development

Research performed today may help find the cause of cleft lip and palate in the future.

Researchers at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Northern California have identified a gene in mice that may uncover the fundamental mechanisms of cleft lip with cleft palate, a common birth anomaly affecting about one in 700 children.

The discovery was made by a research team led by Chengji Zhou, Ph.D., a principal investigator for the Institute of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine (IPRM), a collaborative research program of Shriners Hospitals for Children — Northern California and the University of California, Davis. Their research reveals that all of the mice with a disrupted gene named Lrp6 develop cleft lip and cleft palate. The researchers also uncovered the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms. The findings have been published and highlighted in the September 2009 issue of Development, a  scientific journal.

“This discovery may someday allow scientists and doctors to identify the mutations in related human genes that may cause cleft lip and cleft palate in children and to find new drug targets to prevent this kind  of birth defect during pregnancy,” said David Pleasure, M.D., director of research at Shriners Hospitals for Children —  Northern California and the IPRM. “Our hope is that scientific discoveries made by Dr. Zhou and the team of researchers working at Shriners Hospitals for Children will one day transform the lives of children faced with congenital birth defects and other physical challenges.”

Donate today to support research programs like this one at Shriners Hospitals for Children.