Modeling human craniofacial disorders in Xenopus .

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Craniofacial disorders are among the most common human birth defects and present an enormous health care and social burden. The development of animal models has been instrumental to investigate fundamental questions in craniofacial biology and this knowledge is critical to understand the etiology and pathogenesis of these disorders.

RECENT FINDINGS: The vast majority of craniofacial disorders arise from abnormal development of the neural crest, a multipotent and migratory cell population. Therefore, defining the pathogenesis of these conditions starts with a deep understanding of the mechanisms that preside over neural crest formation and its role in craniofacial development.

SUMMARY: This review discusses several studies using Xenopus embryos to model human craniofacial conditions, and emphasizes the strength of this system to inform important biological processes as they relate to human craniofacial development and disease.