Folate and Human Development

Folic acid not only helps to prevent a variety of serious neural-tube birth defects-among them anencephaly and spina bifida-but is also an important factor in general human health. In Folate and Human Development, an authoritative panel of basic and clinical researchers critically reviews the latest findings on the role of folate in human development, health, and disease. Specific areas addressed include folate metabolism in zinc or copper deficiencies, choline and folate in development, animal models of folate-related birth defects, developmental toxicants potentially acting via folate perturbation, and folate's role in vascular disease in women. There are also cutting-edge discussions of genes and neural tube development, folate receptor polymorphism and the risk for neural defects, abnormal DNA synthesis and methylation with folate/methyl insufficiency, and folic acid and homocysteine as risk factors for neural-tube defects.
Comprehensive and up-to-date, Folate and Human Development critically evaluates our current understanding of the role of folates in human health and disease, offering biomedical and clinical researchers a deeper understanding of the folate and nutrient basis of neural-tube defects.

Animal Models of Folate-Related Neural Tube Defects Nicholas D. E. Greene and Andrew J. Copp Genetic Variation in Folate Metabolism: Impact on Development Rima Rozen Folate Deficiency and the Molecular Determinants of Chromosome Instability: Possible Link to Meiotic Nondisjunction and Down Syndrome S. Jill James and Charlotte A. Hobbs Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, and Genomic Stability of Human Cells Michael Fenech Molecular Genetics of Folate Metabolism Manuela Födinger, Sonja Skoupy, and Gere Sunder-Plassmann Folate Receptor-a: An Update Barton A. Kamen Folate, Homocysteine, and Neural Tube Defects Tom K. A. B. Eskes Folic Acid and Homocysteine as Risk Factors for Neural Tube Defects Robert C. Barber, Janée van Waes, Edward J. Lammer, Gary M. Shaw, Thomas H. Rosenquist, and Richard H. Finnell Developmental Toxicants Potentially Acting via Folate Perturbation Deborah K. Hansen Brain Development and Choline, the Other Methyl Donor Steven H. Zeisel Nutrient Interactions Between Folate and Zinc or Copper: Their Possible Implications to Pregnancy Outcome Tsunenobu Tamura Regulation of Folate Metabolism by Iron A. Katherine Herbig and Patrick J. Stover A Differential Role for Folate in Developmental Disorders, Vascular Disease, and Other Clinical Conditions: The Importance of Folate Status and Genotype Mark Lucock and Zoe Yates Vascular Disease in Women: Folate and Homocysteine Tom K. A. B. Eskes Folate, Homocysteine, and Cardiovascular Disease Jayne V. Woodside and Ian S. Young