Bulletins

National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month is observed in July to promote education about abnormalities of the head and face (craniofacial abnormalities), including openings in different facial structures (clefts), and conditions that involve these abnormalities (craniofacial disorders). Clefts most often occur in the upper lip (cleft lip) and roof of the mouth (cleft palate). A cleft lip or palate can impair feeding in infants if not repaired. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that each year in the United States, 4,440 babies are born with a cleft lip and 2,650 babies are born with a cleft palate. Clefts can also occur in other areas of the face, although these are less common than clefts in the lip or palate. Additional facial clefts can involve the nose, which can disrupt breathing, or the eyes, which can impair vision.

Another common abnormality in craniofacial disorders is craniosynostosis, which is the premature fusion of certain skull bones. This early fusion prevents the skull from growing normally and affects the shape of the head and face. Some craniofacial disorders also affect brain development and can lead to neurological problems including movement disorders, developmental delay, and intellectual disability.

The causes of craniofacial disorders can be complex. Many are caused by mutations in genes that have roles in the development of bones of the skull. Others, particularly those involving clefts, can be caused by mutations in genes that are involved in the movement of cells during development. In addition, environmental factors can also contribute to the development of a cleft. A woman has an increased risk of having a baby with a cleft if she has diabetes, smokes, or takes certain anti-seizure drugs during pregnancy.

National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month also aims to increase focus on the prevention of these disorders as well as to increase knowledge and provide support to affected individuals and their families.

Rosalind Franklin was a scientist whose x-ray studies provided photographic evidence of the double helix shape of DNA. July 25, 2017 marks the 97th anniversary of Rosalind Franklin's birth in 1920 in London, England.

Rosalind Franklin studied chemistry at Cambridge University in England, earning her Ph.D. in 1945 for work analyzing the carbon content and other properties of various types of coal.

After receiving her degree, Dr. Franklin moved to France. She worked in a lab where she became proficient in carbon analysis using a technique called x-ray crystallography, in which a substance is exposed to x-rays and then its structure is determined based on the displacement of the x-rays. Dr. Franklin moved back to England in 1950 and joined a lab at King's College London working with John T. Randall and Maurice Wilkins. At King's College, Dr. Franklin used x-ray crystallography to study DNA.

In early 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick were at Cambridge University attempting to construct a model of DNA. They showed a draft of their work to Maurice Wilkins at King's College. Maurice Wilkins showed Watson and Crick an x-ray study that Dr. Franklin had done on DNA (known as photo 51), and from that x-ray crystallography, Watson and Crick were able to deduce the double helical structure of DNA. Watson and Crick published their seminal theory in Nature in April 1953.

After her time at King's College, Dr. Franklin moved to a lab at Birkbeck College in London and turned her focus to x-ray crystallography of viruses. Her work helped to reveal the structure and organization of certain plant viruses.

In late 1956, Rosalind Franklin was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She underwent several cycles of treatment and had several remissions over a period of 18 months. Dr. Franklin died in London on April 16, 1958.

In 1962, James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their work in discovering the structure of DNA. Over the years, support has grown for Dr. Franklin to be recognized for the role her work played in the discovery of the DNA structure. While Rosalind Franklin's untimely passing left her ineligible for the Nobel Prize, her reputation as a scientist continues to grow as more people learn about her important contributions.