New Findings About Birth Defects

New findings presented this past week by UAB researchers at the Cell Biology Conference in San Francisco challenge a widely held belief among scientists that cilia – small hair-like projections on the surface of cells – serve no purpose.

“Our study demonstrates cilia play an essential role in the proper formation of certain tissues, such as limbs and digits,” said Bradley Yoder, Ph.D., UAB cell biologist. The study focused on a protein called Tg737/polaris, required for cilia formation.

"We found if the function of this protein is disrupted, it results in short limbs with an excessive number of digits.” The study provides new insight into how such birth defects occur.

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