FTO and microcephaly: While the functional consequences of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the intronic region of FTO are still unknown, loss-of-function mutations of FTO in humans lead to an autosomal-recessive lethal syndrome of severe growth retardation, microcephaly, psychomotor delay, cardiac deficits, and multiple malformations, and at least some of these effects may be due to impaired proliferation and accelerated senescence [67].