The coronal suture is located at the top of the head, and it is responsible for separating the two parietal bones within the frontal bone of the skull.  It is also impacted by numerous birth defects, one of which is craniosynostosis. This rare defect requires babies to undergo invasive procedures. Due to the potential danger – among other factors – medical professionals want a better understanding of craniosynostosis to be able to better treat it.

Researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Southern California came together to investigate how this birth defect develops, cell-by-cell. If you want to read their full findings, they are published in Nature Communications.

About the Study

In order to achieve a better comprehension of craniosynostosis, the team of researchers utilized mouse models by isolating developing coronal cells. They went on to observe and catalog the activity of protein-coding genes through DNA sequencing techniques. Their findings include:

• The identification of 14 cells in/around the coronal suture
• The identification of genes that possibly play a role in the production and maintaining of stem cells responsible for growing the bones of the skull
  • The identification of cells that connect the skull to the brain tissue that regulates these stem cells’ activity
• The identification of ligament-like cells that remain into adulthood, which may serve as an indicator to the bones to enlarge and make room
• A better understanding of one form of craniosynostosis: Saethre-Chotzen syndrome
  • Mice with this condition demonstrated far lower numbers of stem cells in the suture, which were distributed symmetrically
    • Medical professionals believe that this may cause the plates of the skull to grow into each other and fuse

All of these results are extremely promising, although future research is still necessary for craniosynostosis. Hopefully, this improved understanding will lead to better, less invasive treatment options.

About Craniosynostosis

Craniosynostosis is a rare birth defect that occurs when the coronal suture in the skull fuses prematurely, but the brain continues to grow and develop. This leads to a misshapen head. There are a number of forms of this defect, such as coronal, sagittal, lambdoid, and metopic. Regardless of type, craniosynostosis results in symptoms like a misshapen skull, slowed or no growth of the head, raised edges along the affected sutures, and an abnormal feeling on the skull. Medical professionals are unsure as to what exactly causes this birth defect, but they believe that genetics plays a role. In terms of treatment, doctors aim to relieve pressure on the brain and correct head shape. This can be accomplished through surgery, and some babies are given a molded helmet to reshape their heads.

Find the source article here.