The attached article, Genetic and epigenetic determinants of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Toward a precision medicine approach, provides a comprehensive review of how genetics and epigenetics influence individual vulnerability to prenatal alcohol exposure. Rather than treating FASD as a purely exposure-based condition, the authors emphasize that variability in outcomes is strongly shaped by biological differences, particularly genetic variations in alcohol-metabolizing enzymes (like ADH, ALDH, CYP2E1, and catalase), alongside epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and microRNA regulation. The paper argues for a shift toward precision medicine in FASD prevention and intervention, recognizing that some fetuses may be biologically more susceptible to harm from even minimal alcohol exposure.
