Studies in the Area of Van der Woude Syndrome Reported from University of Iowa (Dna Methylation Effects On Van Der Woude Syndrome Phenotypic Variability).

A recent report from the University of Iowa explores the role of DNA methylation in the phenotypic variability of Van der Woude Syndrome (VWS). VWS is characterized by lip pits and cleft lip and/or cleft palate, and the study suggests that epigenetic factors may act as modifiers of the syndrome. The researchers analyzed DNA methylation patterns in the regulatory regions of two genes, IRF6 and TP63, and found differential methylation associated with cleft type and phenotypic severity. These findings indicate that epigenetic changes in IRF6 and TP63 may contribute to the heterogeneity of VWS. [Extracted from the article]