Capitol News

Brian Schutte, a geneticist and associate professor at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, has made a significant discovery in the study of cleft palate. Schutte's research focuses on the connection between DNA changes and the prevalence of cleft palate, particularly in Finland.

Cleft lip and cleft palate are among the most common birth defects worldwide, affecting approximately one in every 700 newborns. While cleft lip is generally more prevalent than cleft palate globally, Finland presents an exception with higher cases of cleft palate.

The recent study published in Nature Communications identifies a specific DNA variant near a gene that influences the risk for these conditions. Unlike previous findings that linked this DNA change to both cleft lip and palate, this study shows it only increases the risk for cleft palate.

Schutte collaborated with scientists from various institutions including FinnGen, AbbVie Inc., University of Helsinki, University of Washington School of Dentistry, and Estonian Genome Center. They found that this particular DNA variant is predominantly present in Finland and Estonia. In Finland, there is a notable geographic distribution where cases increase from southwest to northeast—a pattern not observed elsewhere.

The next phase of Schutte's research involves working with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to analyze blood samples from Michigan’s BioTrust. These samples will be taken from babies born with cleft palates in counties with high Finnish ancestry such as Ontonagon, Houghton, Schoolcraft, Marquette, and Chippewa.

“If we find the DNA change in those Michigan samples but the frequency of cleft palate is not high like it is in Finland,” Schutte explained, “that would suggest an environmental or other component that makes cleft palate less common in Michigan than in Finland despite the genetic connection between the people.” This finding could have important implications for clinical practice and public health strategies.