NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN BONE-FORMATION

Two independent strategies have established that the transcription fac tor, Cbfa1, is a key regulator of both osteoblast differentiation and osteoblast-specific gene expression. Gene targeting experiments in mic e have also shown that haploinsufficiency of Cbfa1 expression causes s ymptoms reminiscent of the Cleidocranial dysplasia syndrome (CCD), a h eritable disorder of the skeleton. Direct analysis of the Cbfa1 gene i n CCD families has revealed a direct correlation between mutations in this gene and disease phenotype. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens 7;363-366 . (C) 1998 Lippincott-Raven Publishers.