We are interested in identifying the cellular and molecular mechanisms that direct how the roof of the skull bones expand to cover the brain. We are addressing this question in collaboration with Dr. Sevan Hopyan (Sick Kids, Toronto) and Dr. Matthew Harris (Boston Children’s Hospital).
Modified from Ferguson JW, Atit RP. A tale of two cities: The genetic mechanisms governing calvarial bone development. Genesis. 2018 Aug 28:e23246. doi: 10.1002/dvg.23248. Review.
Calvaria are the roof of the skull and form a jigsaw puzzle. If they don’t form correctly, you have a hole on top of your head. If they puzzle pieces prematurely fuse, you have craniosynostosis which affects 1/2500 live births world-wide. Thus, understanding basic mechanisms affecting calvarial growth, can shed light on the etiology of these defects.
Questions:
- Calvaria form as a foci above the eye (green) and expands apically (yellow) to cover your brain, how?
- What signals provide the tissue level cue to direct calvarial bone cells to the apex?
- What is the cellular mechanism underlying apical expansion of calvaria?