How alcohol before birth changes a baby's facial development
Craniofacial Morphogenesis in Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
This work looks at how drinking alcohol during pregnancy alters developing baby cells' energy use and causes the facial differences seen with prenatal alcohol exposure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11133291 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child was exposed to alcohol before birth, this project studies the early cells that form the face (neural crest) to learn why they die and change facial shape. The researchers found earlier that alcohol disrupts ribosome production and activates a cellular energy sensor (AMPK), and now will test whether alcohol blocks the cells' switch to high-rate sugar use that they need to grow. They will use lab models to study glycogen use, glycolysis, and related signals (including Hippo/YAP) that control cell growth and survival. The goal is to map the chain of events from alcohol exposure to cell death so future protections or treatments can be designed.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This is preclinical laboratory research and is not enrolling patients now, but the findings are directly relevant to pregnant people who drank alcohol and families of children with prenatal alcohol exposure.
Not a fit: People without prenatal alcohol exposure and those seeking immediate therapies for long-standing FASD symptoms are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent or reduce facial and brain injury from prenatal alcohol exposure.
How similar studies have performed: The team’s prior work already identified related cellular steps in lab models, but translating these mechanistic findings into prevention or treatment is still early and largely untested clinically.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smith, Susan M. — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Smith, Susan M.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.