Teratology Society symposium and workshop abstracts

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 131 KB
• Volume: 61
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0040-3709
• DOI: 10.1002/1096-9926(200006)61:6<457::aid-tera3>3.0.co;2-0

✦ Synopsis

The presentation will offer an overview of the role that genetics and gene-environment interactions play in creating susceptibilities to teratogenesis. Recent advances in molecular biology and quantitative analysis provide previously unanticipated power to detect the role that genes play in generating risks for teratogenesis in birth defects. High resolution genetic maps, genome-wide sequencing studies, gene expression chips and analysis and mouse knockout studies are all some examples of the way in which these new powers can be applied to studies of organogenesis. We will outline some of the analytic strategies used in these proposals, highlight new technological advances, attempt to define the role that animal models can play in these studies, pay particular attention to gene-environment interactions and pharmacogenetics studies and give a few examples from recent work in the arena of each of these individual approaches. The interactions of growth factors (TGFA, TGFB3) with alcohol and smoking in increasing risks for cleft lip and palate will provide a model system in humans. Related studies in the mouse will provide the counterpoints. The talk itself will provide an overview and an introduction to talks that will follow elsewhere in this session on specific etiologies.