Snijders Blok–Campeau syndrome almost always comes with both physical and intellectual disabilities. Those with the condition will typically have trouble in the development of speech and language. Around one half typically have some form of macrocephaly, while around one third show signs of autism or similar conditions.[4]
The CHD3 gene is required for chromatin remodeling, a process that regulates gene expression.[7] By allowing for the creation of chromatin, the CHD3 gene affects how tightly DNA is packed into chromosomes. A mutation of the CHD3 gene changes the amount of chromatin produced, causing over or underexpression of other genes.[7][8]
History
Due to the rarity of the condition, with only approximately 60 cases documented in scientific literature,[7] Snijders Blok–Campeau syndrome was only discovered in 2018 by clinical geneticistLot Snijders Blok and clinician-scientistPhilippe M Campeau. The mutation was first documented in the paper "CHD3 helicase domain mutations cause a neurodevelopmental syndrome with macrocephaly and impaired speech and language".[3]