IGF2 and spina bifida: The real-time qPCR assays indicated that in the spinal cords of mice fetuses with spina bifida, the Igf2 mRNA level was increased 1.84-fold compared to control (P = 0.0057, Student's t-test) (Fig. 5B), but in human NTDs, this increment fold was 6.41 (Fig. 2A).