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Using stem cells to regenerate parts of the skull, scientists corrected skull shape and reversed learning and memory deficits in young mice with craniosynostosis, a condition estimated to affect 1 in every 2,500 infants born in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The only current therapy is complex surgery within the first year of life, but skull defects often return afterward. The study, supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), could pave the way for more effective and less invasive therapies for children with craniosynostosis. The findings were published Jan. 7, 2021 in Cell. NIDCR is part of the National Institutes of Health.
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Stem cells may correct deformity and restore brain function after childhood disorder
Using stem cells to regenerate parts of the skull, USC scientists partially corrected a skull deformity and reversed learning and memory deficits in young mice with craniosynostosis, a condition estimated to affect 1 in every 2,500 infants born in the United States.
The only current therapy is complex surgery within the first year of life, but skull defects often return afterward. The study, which appears today in Cell, could pave the way for more effective and less invasive therapies for children with craniosynostosis.
“I started my career as a clinician treating kids with congenital defects, and we always wanted to do something better for these patients,” said study leader Yang Chai, a University Professor and director of the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC.
Conventional treatment for craniosynostosis often involves surgery and cranial helmets during the long recovery process. (Photo/iStock)
Using stem cells to regenerate parts of the skull, USC scientists partially corrected a skull deformity and reversed learning and memory deficits in young mice with craniosynostosis, a condition estimated to affect 1 in every 2,500 infants born in the United States.
The only current therapy is complex surgery within the first year of life, but skull defects often return afterward. The study, which appears today in Cell, could pave the way for more effective and less invasive therapies for children with craniosynostosis.
“I started my career as a clinician treating kids with congenital defects, and we always wanted to do something better for these patients,” said study leader Yang Chai, a University Professor and director of the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC.