Jerusalem: New research has shed light on how folic acid may help protect a developing baby’s brain and spinal cord, identifying a biological pathway that could explain one of the vitamin’s most important benefits during pregnancy.
The study, led by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, identified an enzyme called ALDH1L1 as an important part of the process.
How the baby’s neural tube develops
Very early in pregnancy, a layer of cells called the neural plate folds and closes to form the neural tube, which later develops into the brain and spinal cord.
If the tube fails to close properly, serious conditions known as neural tube defects, including spina bifida and anencephaly, can occur.
Folic acid has long been known to reduce the risk of these defects. The new research suggests that it may partly work by activating ALDH1L1, which helps produce retinoic acid, a vitamin A-related developmental signal.
Folic acid’s protective pathway
Researchers studied frog embryos to understand the mechanism. Folic acid improved neural tube development in embryos with closure problems, but its protective effect disappeared when the ALDH1L1 gene was disrupted.
The team also found evidence that human ALDH1L1 can produce retinoic acid and that the pathway operates in mammalian cells.
The findings suggest that the right balance of retinoic acid is important for controlling the growth and development of cells forming the nervous system.
Researchers warn against extra vitamin A
The researchers stressed that the findings do not mean pregnant women should take additional vitamin A without medical advice. Excess vitamin A can itself cause serious birth defects.
The discovery could eventually help explain why folic acid does not prevent every neural tube defect and may open new avenues for research into pregnancy-related developmental disorders.
Health authorities continue to recommend folic acid before and during early pregnancy. The CDC recommends 400 micrograms daily for women who could become pregnant to help prevent neural tube defects.