Embryonic cells sense stiffness in order to form the face

Neural crest - Illustration of neural crest (shown in blue) on a substrate. Credit:  Ella Maru Studio/Mayor lab - Cells in the developing embryo can sense the stiffness of other cells around them, which is key to them moving together to form the face and skull, finds a new study by UCL researchers. In the study of frog embryos researchers found that embryonic cells can navigate away from soft regions of the embryo and toward harder regions. Facial malformations and death can arise in embryos where the cells are unable to distinguish soft regions from hard ones, and researchers say the discovery could help to understand and prevent harmful birth defects. Lead author Professor Roberto Mayor (UCL Cell & Developmental Biology) said: "The features of human and animal faces, like the nose, lips and ears, are sculpted by the complex and precise movement of cells in a developing embryo. "An error in the movement of these cells can have devastating consequences for the babies and their families, generating serious problems such as lip or palate cleft, facial palsy, cranial malformations or even death. These account for a third of all birth defects globally - over 3 million each year - and are the primary cause of infant mortality, so improving our understanding of what causes such birth defects could be life-saving*." Scientists studying the neural crest (embryonic stem cells that form facial features) have mainly focused on the genes and molecules that control the movement of these cells.