DNA finding offers hope on cleft palate

British scientists have identified the gene that causes cleft palate.

The finding could improve the diagnosis and treatment of the congenital disorder.

About one in 600 babies is born with cleft palate, a condition where the two sides of the roof of the mouth do not fuse properly.

Researchers at Imperial College, London, found the TBX22 gene on the X chromosome by using information from the Human Genome Project.

"By identifying the gene that causes X-linked cleft palate we will now understand much more about the cause of the condition," said Dr Philip Stanier, the head of the research team.

"In the long term it will also shed more light on other forms of the disorder and lead to effective treatments other than corrective surgery," he said.

The discovery may also help scientists uncover a link between inherited cases of the disorder and those that occur sporadically.

The research involved a study of seven generations of an Icelandic family with the problem.

The researchers said it was quite easy to spot the gene because of the country's small genetic pool and well-organised medical records.

They found it by comparing DNA from the Icelandic family with that of people in Canada, Brazil and Britain.

Their research is published online by the science journal Nature Genetics.

- REUTERS