© Abeeshan Selvabaskaran - Hand coded with 🖤

Banner image of FOP infographic

Client

Dr. Derek Ng

Year

2021

Media

Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Blender 3D

Audience

Educated Lay Public

About

This is an infographic on the pathology and molecular origin of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP), a rare genetic disease that causes spontaneous ossification of muscles and cartilage. This piece was meant to be used as a poster to educate the public about this rare disease.

Final infographic

Final infographic piece for FOP

Process

Research & Sketches

Extensive research was done to gather as much data as possible about the disease, it's prevalence, and protein imaging data on the ALK2 mutation associated with the disease. Following this, 5 different thumbnail sketches were created to find the best layout for the project.

Research and Thumbnail sketches

Research documents
Thumbnail/Concept Sketches 1/2
Thumbnail/Concept Sketches 3/4
Thumbnail/Concept Sketch 5

Asset Creation

I wanted the piece to have a graphic/inked style to it so I sketched out the main 2D elements (skeleton, tissue cube), and used a maquette of phospholipids and the ALK2 mutated protein to use as a basis for the cellular drawing. Various 3D renders were also included in the final infographic to depict the mutation site.

Asset creation

Rough linework for main 2D assets
3D render of mutation site amino acids
3D render of phospholipid membrane and ALK2 protein

Layout & Composition

In the final layout, I included a half-tone background and worn paint textures to match the overall comic book style of the piece.

Final Illustrations and Layout

Final linework and renders for main 2D assets
Final layout composoition of infographic

References

  1. Groppe, J. C., Shore, E. M. and Kaplan, F. S. (2007) ‘Functional modeling of the ACVR1 (R206H) mutation in FOP’, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 462(462), pp. 87–92. doi: 10.1097/BLO.0b013e318126c049.
  2. Kaplan, F. S. et al. (2008) ‘Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva’, Best Practice and Research: Clinical Rheumatology, 22(1), pp. 191–205. doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2007.11.007.
  3. Sekimata K, Sato T, Sakai N. ALK2: A Therapeutic Target for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva and Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2020;68(3):194-200. doi: 10.1248/cpb.c19-00882. PMID: 32115526.
  4. Shore EM, Xu M, Feldman GJ, Fenstermacher DA, Cho T-J, Choi IH, Connor JM, Delai P, Glaser DL, Le Merrer M, Morhart R, Rogers JG, Smith R, Triffitt JT, Urtizberea JA, Zasloff M, Brown MA, Kaplan FS. A recurrent mutation in the BMP type I receptor ACVR1 causes inherited and sporadic fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. Nature Genetics 38: 525-527, 2006
  5. Wentworth, K. L., Masharani, U. and Hsiao, E. C. (2019) ‘Therapeutic advances for blocking heterotopic ossification in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva’, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, pp. 1180–1187. doi: 10.1111/bcp.13823.
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