Abstract
The head is made up of multiple skeletal elements and birth defects affecting these bones and cartilages can be catastrophic. We have very little understanding of what controls the size and shape of these irregular skeletal forms. A better understanding of this control will improve our treatment of craniofacial anomalies and future efforts in repair and regeneration of skeletal forms. In this project, our mathematical models of mesenchymal condensations will be informed by micromass cultures from normal and genetically modified mice, which model the characteristic facial changes in human ciliopathy patients.
References
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