Physical cues in the womb, including hydrostatic pressure, have been found to influence the normal development of neural crest cells, the embryonic stem cells that form facial features, according to a recent study led by UCL researchers. Published in Nature Cell Biology, the study suggests that increased pressure sensed by the embryo can hinder the healthy development of facial features in mouse and frog embryos, as well as in human embryoids grown in the lab from human stem cells. This indicates that variations in pressure might affect the risk of facial malformations.
The researchers observed that when neural crest cells were exposed to higher-than-usual levels of pressure, key cell signaling pathways were impeded, significantly increasing the risk of craniofacial malformations. ‘Our findings suggest that facial malformations could be influenced not only by genetics but by physical cues in the womb such as pressure,’ said lead author Professor Roberto Mayor (UCL Cell & Developmental Biology).
‘When an organism experiences a change in pressure, all the cells – including the embryo inside the mother – are able to sense it. Our work shows that embryos are sensitive to pressure, but we do not know how sensitive they are; for instance, will a change in the pressure inside the uterus be able to affect the embryo? This will require further research to understand how changes inside the body as well as in environmental pressure might influence human embryo development.’
The researchers believe that their findings could also have implications for stem cell research, as the study indicates that the development and differentiation of stem cells are influenced by pressure. Understanding this connection could transform how scientists manipulate stem cells for therapeutic applications.
