Normal embryonic and foetal devlopment depends on the ability of cells to move from one place to another. This behaviour enables cells to be produced at one site and transported to one or a number of other sites. Although the face appears to us as a single seamless unit it originates as a number of blocks of tissue which begin development separately and must grow in a coordinated way that enables them to meet at precisely the correct time, in the correct place and in the correct order. The basis ....Normal embryonic and foetal devlopment depends on the ability of cells to move from one place to another. This behaviour enables cells to be produced at one site and transported to one or a number of other sites. Although the face appears to us as a single seamless unit it originates as a number of blocks of tissue which begin development separately and must grow in a coordinated way that enables them to meet at precisely the correct time, in the correct place and in the correct order. The basis of this growth and fusion is the ability of individual cells to move around the embryo to supply the raw materials for this construction process when and where they are needed. The combined activities of the cells in constructing the various parts of the embryo is known as morphogenesis which literally means creating shape. We are trying to gain insight into the basis of morphogenesis that produces the face. This is important because the face and other structures that are closely associated with it are particularly prone to errors. Despite this, surprisingly little is known about the mechansims that control development of the face. We know a great deal about which cells are involved in constructing the face but very little about what triggers the initial steps of development or maintains ordered growth. Our research is aimed at defining genes that are important in controlling development of the face through the study of normal development and birth defects. We are defining the function of genes that appear to be important in controlling the behaviour of cells during early development of the face. This knowledge will assist in understanding the control mechanism for facial devlopment and will eventually lead to improvements in the treatment and prevention of birth defects affecting these structures.Read moreRead less
Physical Determinants Of Lung Development Before And After Birth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$442,500.00
Summary
Survival at birth is critically dependent upon the ability of the lungs to take on the role of exchanging gases; a role previously performed by the placenta. The lungs must, therefore, have grown and matured sufficiently during fetal life, before they are required at the time of birth. Inadequate development of the lungs during fetal life is the most common cause of death and disease in newborn babies. This may be due to premature birth, when the lungs have had insufficient time to develop, or i ....Survival at birth is critically dependent upon the ability of the lungs to take on the role of exchanging gases; a role previously performed by the placenta. The lungs must, therefore, have grown and matured sufficiently during fetal life, before they are required at the time of birth. Inadequate development of the lungs during fetal life is the most common cause of death and disease in newborn babies. This may be due to premature birth, when the lungs have had insufficient time to develop, or it may be due to inappropriate lung development during fetal life. It is important therefore, to understand the mechanisms that control growth and development of the lung both before and after birth. During fetal life the lungs are filled with liquid which expands the lungs and provides a stretch stimulus causing them to grow. Previously we have shown that a reduction in the degree of fetal lung expansion causes lung growth to cease. Likewise, if we increase the degree of lung expansion in the fetus, we induce a rapid increase in fetal lung growth and maturation. This stimulus is so potent that it can reverse an existing lung growth deficit, thus enabling survival of the newborn. In this application we will investigate the mechanisms by which alterations in lung expansion induce growth and maturation of the lung. Specifically we will investigate the role of calmodulin in fetal lung growth, because the genes that encode it are activated when the lung cells are growing most rapidly. In addition, we will identify other genes that are turned on or off during rapid growth of the lung because those genes are likely to play important roles in the regulation of fetal lung growth and development. We will also investigate the underlying differences in the control of lung growth at different stages of gestation, as well as investigate factors that regulate lung growth after birth, particularly in prematurely born animals.Read moreRead less