Uncontrolled FGF signaling is responsible for diverse array of developmental disorders, most notably skeletal syndromes due to FGFR gain-of-function mutations.
We have shown that multivariate statistical treatment of gene expression data from leaves of an aspen tree grown under uncontrolled, highly variable, conditions can be analyzed to separate developmental, or rather leaf age-dependent, factors from environmental factors influencing gene expression [ 8].
An uncontrolled, before and after study found that overweight adults with developmental disabilities reported improved lifestyle and weight loss following participation in a peer mentor-led health promotion programme over a seven month period [ 50].
The best example in this regard is most likely cancer, a disease for which the perception is shifting from a gene-centered, uncontrolled growth scenario to another perspective based on highly regulated developmental networks [ 51].
Although TE copies fixed in the genome are most frequently neutral or even advantageous to the host organism, their uncontrolled proliferation and insertional activity may cause multiple genetic and developmental deleterious effects [ 12- 16].
They are also of medical interest as a number of neurodegenerative disorders have been shown to be caused by the uncontrolled expansion of glutamine tandem repeats [ 17], and several developmental diseases are due to formation of unusually long alanine repeats [ 18].
Research on the uncontrolled growth of tumours has spread, it would appear, to almost all aspects of developmental biology not only to the cancer cells themselves, but also to the host organs in which the metastases develop.
We speculate that Oct4 might function as a brake to suppress uncontrolled elevation of Nanog, which could otherwise impede timely exit from pluripotency in response to developmental cues.
We believe that this study shows that a developmental program (in this case leaf development) can faithfully be analyzed using samples from uncontrolled conditions.
Exclusion criteria were the following: pervasive developmental disorder or intelligence quotient of <70 and medical disorders that may affect brain function (eg, uncontrolled seizures, head trauma, CNS tumor, and infection) or visual performance (eg, blindness).
