New Delhi, A research has found that increased pressure due to fluid on the fetus in the womb can affect facial development, which also includes the risk of deformities.
The study found that increased pressure exerted by stagnant fluids, hydrostatic pressure, which is sensed by the fetus, may hinder the healthy development of facial features.
Researchers at University College, London, UK, said the difference in pressure increases the risk of facial deformities.
The researchers conducted their analysis on laboratory-grown structures made from mouse and frog embryos and human stem cells.
Human stem cells may not initially perform specific functions, but self-renew over time and have the potential to become specialized cells such as muscle, blood, or brain. These cells are needed for the maintenance and repair of tissues after an injury.
"When an organism is experiencing a change in pressure, all cells, including the fetus inside the mother, are able to sense it," said lead author Robert Meyer, professor of developmental and cellular neurobiology at University College, London. The study, which has been published in the journal Nature Cell Biology.
"Our findings suggest that facial deformities may be influenced not only by genetics but also by physiological cues such as pressure in the womb," he said.
Mayer and his colleagues had previously found that cells in the developing embryo sense the stiffness of other cells around them, which is key to them moving together to form the face and skull, they said.
The study found that increased pressure exerted by stagnant fluids, hydrostatic pressure, which is sensed by the fetus, may hinder the healthy development of facial features.
Researchers at University College, London, UK, said the difference in pressure increases the risk of facial deformities.
The researchers conducted their analysis on laboratory-grown structures made from mouse and frog embryos and human stem cells.
Human stem cells may not initially perform specific functions, but self-renew over time and have the potential to become specialized cells such as muscle, blood, or brain. These cells are needed for the maintenance and repair of tissues after an injury.
"When an organism is experiencing a change in pressure, all cells, including the fetus inside the mother, are able to sense it," said lead author Robert Meyer, professor of developmental and cellular neurobiology at University College, London. The study, which has been published in the journal Nature Cell Biology.
"Our findings suggest that facial deformities may be influenced not only by genetics but also by physiological cues such as pressure in the womb," he said.
Mayer and his colleagues had previously found that cells in the developing embryo sense the stiffness of other cells around them, which is key to them moving together to form the face and skull, they said.
