Genetic and environmental factors in human cleft lip and palate.

Cleft lip and palate is the most common craniofacial birth defect and its etiology has been the focus of many reports in the literature. It is well accepted that both genetics and environment play a role in the condition, however we still have not been able to translate what have been learned into clinical applications. This paper provides an interpretation of the latest research findings in humans and a perspective for where the field is going. The latest effort in gene identification and the associations between isolated cleft lip and palate and the loci harboring IRF6 (1q32) and 8q24.21 are highlighted, as well as the latest insight from more sophisticated phenotypical characterization and the inclusion of covariables related to the environment in the analysis of genetic variation.