Discovered genes that control the appearance of the face - TVN 24

mice bred on the head human liver – 04-07-2013

Japanese scientists succeeded in creating a functional human liver from stem cells – reports Reuters. Scholars believe that, thanks to the discovery of human organs will be created in the laboratory. read more »

A team of experts from Joint Genome Institute, working at the University of California at Berkeley, has recently launched a study that will help researchers understand why people’s faces so very different from each other.

So far, scientists have identified thousands of pieces of DNA that are responsible for how they are formed features. The researchers also noticed that if you put a little interference with genetic material can slightly change the shape of your face.

experiment on mice

researchers conducted an experiment on mice, however, claim that the results of this experiment can certainly be applied to humans. – Somewhere out there (in human DNA) has to be a plan by which shaped our face – said prof. Axel Visel.

amplifiers were key

They analyzed the DNA of mice. It turned out that in the genome of these animals, there are four thousand amps that are likely to play a huge role in shaping the way they look. After another selection has left only 200 amps. In the next stage, three amplifiers were excluded.

In the next phase of the experiment, the researchers observed what happened to the face, or rather my nose, mouse. – Mice looked perfectly normal, so people really very difficult to see any difference – explained Prof. Visel.

Scientists have bred ear

the rat. For three months, did not lose shape – 31-07-2013

help

Researchers from Boston was able to create an artificial “human” ear tissue of cows and sheep. This breakthrough. His first success came with the beginning of the year and is one of the bioengineers from Cornell University. They bred a mouse ear, but do not grow. This time the experiment was successful, and the organ for three months behave naturally and not lose shape. The study has been published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. read more »

changes observed by computed tomography

so researchers used CT scans to see if there was a change. – Przeskanowali?my head mouse could therefore accurately determine the shape of their skulls.

It turned out that in the skulls of the animals there have been changes. Mice changed appearance, have longer or shorter, narrower or broader noses. Interestingly, by the removal of amplifiers there was no formation of any defects.

in the future will be ruled out disease?

Experts believe that if you thoroughly understand the nature of this process, they will be able to learn how to develop a birth defect in children. – There are many types of congenital craniofacial defects, of which the most common are cleft lip and palate. The consequences of these disadvantages are very serious. They have an impact on feeding, speech, breathing, sometimes require major surgery. Not to mention the psychological consequences – finished scientist.

Some of these defects are caused by genetic mutations, so researchers eager to understand the mutations, in future, be able to prevent them.

results of scientific work has been published in “Science”.