The Two Brains: Holoprosencephaly (HPE)

We are all born with many things we take for granted. Properly developed brains, facial features in their correct places, and a life span longer than a few hours. Some children who are born with holoprosencephaly, or HPE, aren't quite as lucky. Victims of this disease suffer with various abnormalities to the face and brain, sometimes resulting in death. Their symptoms can range from almost normal facial features and brain development, to something most of us thought only occurred in fictional novels. When your brain is being formed it usually divides into two hemispheres, a right and a left. "To establish the line that separates the two hemispheres (the midline), the activity of many genes must be tightly regulated and coordinated. These genes provide instructions for making signaling proteins, which instruct the cells within the brain to form the right and left hemispheres." (Genetics Home.). If mutations occur within these genes it results in the production of abnormal or nonfunctioning signal proteins. Without the correct signals, the brain does not separate into two hemispheres. The mutation most …show more content…
Speculations began when pictures from his childhood appeared, that showed he had what appeared to be a centrally-spaced front incisor. Some think that this could be an explanation for his rumored fertility problems, and sometimes erratic behavior. (Maps and Genes). While speculations are brought to the table, nothing has been confirmed about Cruise's condition.
Holoprosencephaly brings many struggles into the lives of the victims and their families, due to the failure of the brain to divide properly. It can cause many facial deformities and tooth abnormalities of which are not able to be observed for long, due to the short life span of those who have them. In the case of those who are born with one central eye, they are not storybook characters, just another victim to