Bell's Palsy

Bell's palsy is a disorder caused by damage to the facial nerve that supports the muscles of the face. It is also called facial palsy. Bell’s palsy is marked by a droopy appearance on one side of the face and the inability to open or close the eye on the other affected side. Other common symptoms include drooping of one corner of the mouth, difficulty eating and drinking, facial weakness, flattening of the creases and folds in the skin, a sagging lower eyelid, headache and sensitivity to sound.

Bell's palsy occurs due to a malfunction of the facial nerve, cranial nerve VII. Inflammation of the facial nerve may lead to pressure on the nerve, blocking the transmission of neural signals or damaging the nerve. Although the cause of Bell's palsy is unknown, some research shows that the viruses and bacteria may be related to the development of Bell’s palsy (e.g. herpes simplex, HIV, sarcoidosis, herpes zoster virus, Epstein-Barr virus, or Lyme disease, a bacterial infection caused by infected ticks).

Fig.1 Anatomy of the facial nerve: topographic diagnosis.

Creative Biolabs aims to provide biological reagents to help understand the cause and pathophysiology of Bell's palsy. These reagents include but are not limited to monoclonal antibodies, polyclonal antibodies, labeled antibodies, proteins, analytical kits, and small molecule activators and inhibitors.

Biological Processes and Genes Related to Bell's Palsy