Natalie J. Prescott1, R M Winter1, S Malcolm1
1Clinical and Molecular Genetics Unit, Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH
Tóm tắt
Nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (CL/P) is a common craniofacial malformation with a complex genetic component. Attempts at identifying susceptibility loci via family and case‐control studies have proved inconsistent. It is likely that initial predictions of the complex interactions involved in facial development were underestimated. The candidate gene list for CL/P is getting longer and the need for an impartial, systematic screening technique, to implicate or refute the inclusion of particular loci, is apparent. Large‐scale multi‐centre collaborations will also be necessary if we are to pursue the avenues of gene‐environment interactions, which have opened up over recent years. So we are faced with the question ‘Can this complex trait be too complex?’
