Research on craniofacial genetics and developmental biology: implications for the future of academic dentistry

Abstract

The literature of biology abounds in awe‐inspiring acts of iridescent genius. Although a law of nature is phrased in abstract language and is itself devoid of passion and sensibility, the history of its discovery may be an epic worthy of Homer, every page of which bears the stamp of the personality of people. Clearly, scientific truth can be defended by dispassionate logic, but its discovery cannot be promoted this way. The human factor in the creative equation is an important aspect. The discovery of the principles that now form the foundation of developmental craniofacial biology is a story of irony and paradox. Although much progress has been made in many scientific endeavors, many questions regarding craniofacial growth and development remain unanswered. One of the main problems encountered in studies of mammalian growth and development, specifically those dealing with developmental craniofacial biology, has been the apparent lack of application of advances in parallel fields of scientific endeavor. The time seems appropriate for commingling clinical problems with the recently acquired principles of cellular, molecular, and developmental biology.

Gene sequencing applications to combat oral-cavity related disorders: a systematic review with meta-analysis

“…GS is the process of determining the order of nucleotides (the building blocks of DNA) in an individual's DNA. Dentistry is the branch of medicine that focuses on the health of the teeth, gums, and mouth [ 49 ]. GS and dentistry have been closely correlated with each other since the inception of the field of genomics simply because a person's genetic makeup can affect their oral health [ 50 , 51 ].…”

A Genome‐Wide Linkage Scan for Quantitative Trait Loci Influencing the Craniofacial Complex in Humans (Homo sapiens sapiens)

“…Recent advances in developmental biology have led to the discovery of a number of genes and gene products important in the development of the skull (e.g., Mina et al, 1991; Brown et al, 1993; Mina et al, 1995; Mina, 2001; Abzhanov et al, 2006; Mina and Havens, 2007). However, our primary understanding of the specific genes related to human craniofacial morphology comes from genetic disorders associated with craniofacial anomalies (e.g., Slavkin, 1983; Gorlin, 1998; Olsen, 1998; Brennan and Pauli, 2001; Slavkin, 2001; Riise et al, 2002; Helms and Schneider, 2003; Shieh et al, 2006). Many of these anomalies affect multiple tissue types and often are not restricted to craniofacial structures.…”

“…The craniofacial complex is one of the primary foci for application of gene therapy and tissue engineering techniques (Dunn et al, 2005; Garcia‐Godoy and Murray, 2006; Hu et al, 2006; Yelick and Vacanti, 2006). As it becomes increasingly possible to incorporate gene therapy and tissue engineering in the repair of craniofacial dysmorphology (congenital or acquired), studies elucidating the genetic underpinnings of continuous phenotypes typifying normal variation are of critical importance (Slavkin, 1983; Slavkin, 1995; Slavkin, 1996; Hu and Helms, 1999; Lindsey, 2001; Slavkin, 2001; Weng et al, 2001; Fong et al, 2003; Warren et al, 2003; MacArthur et al, 2004; MacArthur and Oreffo, 2005; Yelick and Vacanti, 2006). This study examines fundamental features of the genetic architecture by assessing heritability and identifying quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying normal variation of phenotypes throughout the craniofacial complex in participants from the Fels Longitudinal Study (FLS) using modern variance components‐based statistical genetic methods.…”