Metabolic Biomarkers of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure in Human Embryonic Stem Cell–Derived Neural Lineages

Abstract

EtOH exposure induces statistically significant changes to the metabolome profile of human embryoid bodies, neural progenitors, and neurons. Several of these metabolites are normally present in human serum, suggesting their usefulness as potential serum FASD biomarkers. These findings suggest the biochemical pathways that are affected by EtOH in the developing nervous system and delineate mechanisms of alcohol injury during human development.