Nature Communications (Mar 2023)

Paternal methotrexate exposure affects sperm small RNA content and causes craniofacial defects in the offspring

  • Nagif Alata Jimenez,
  • Mauricio Castellano,
  • Emilio M. Santillan,
  • Konstantinos Boulias,
  • Agustín Boan,
  • Luisa F. Arias Padilla,
  • Juan I. Fernandino,
  • Eric L. Greer,
  • Juan P. Tosar,
  • Luisa Cochella,
  • Pablo H. Strobl-Mazzulla

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37427-7
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

Read online

Anti-folate drugs, such as methotrexate, have been largely prohibited for pregnant women because of the teratogenic effect on their descendant. Here, the authors report a intergenerational mechanism by why paternal methotrexate exposure causes craniofacial defects on their offspring.