The genetic control of skin proliferation in the face

The human face is a highly complex structure and the finished physiognomy and skin surface is of deep social and psychological significance because so much of human social behaviour is focused on facial recognition, the language of facial expression and the subjective perception of facial beauty. Our long-term investigations into the functions of the gene GTF2IRD1, discovered in our laboratory, have revealed that the protein it encodes regulates the structure and thickness of the skin in a number of key zones in the face. This goal of this project is to understand GTF2IRD1’s role in the patterning of the face. Our findings will have implications for understanding skin during ageing, skin graft tissue production and the treatment of skin cancer.