Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42587126›Full record

ArticleEMBO molecular medicine2026

Excess folate elevates formaldehyde genotoxicity in cell lines but not in mice or humans.

Christopher Mellor, Brandon T James, Saeideh Azad, Emma P Kosmeder, Chloe T Purello, Monika Singh, Victoria Simon, Nicholas W Cheng, Jessica Niedermaier, Guillermo Burgos-Barragan and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in EMBO molecular medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Christopher MellorDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9902-7040
Brandon T JamesDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
Saeideh AzadDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-0496-1035
Emma P KosmederDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
Chloe T PurelloDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
Monika SinghDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
Victoria SimonDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
Nicholas W ChengDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
Jessica NiedermaierCayuga Cancer Center, Cayuga Health, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Guillermo Burgos-BarraganSandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
John O BlenisSandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3622-2337
Anthony R MatoCayuga Cancer Center, Cayuga Health, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Martha S FieldDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7547-5180
Meng WangDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA. mw997@cornell.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1573-0255

Funding

Deciphering the cellular origins and impact of toxic formaldehyde in mammalian cellsR35GM160077 · NIGMS · CORNELL UNIVERSITY · PI WANG, MENG · 2025 to 2025
$2.1M
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 24-20-82CU | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University (CALS) Start up fundCU | College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University (CVM) Center for Vertebrate Genomics Scholar AwardFanconi Cancer Foundation (FCF) 24-20-82HHS | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) 1R35GM160077-01NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM160077St. Baldrick's Foundation (SBF) 1278637
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Folate metabolites are chemically unstable: spontaneous decomposition releases formaldehyde, a genotoxin in blood stem cells and a human carcinogen. Despite this, folic acid consumption frequently exceeds the Recommended Dietary Allowance and is prescribed at high doses for patients with blood disorders. However, the impact of excess folate on endogenous formaldehyde genotoxicity in vivo has not been studied. We find that excess tetrahydrofolate (THF) treatment of cell lines elevates formaldehyde-DNA adducts and genotoxicity. To test this in vivo, we fed a high-folic acid diet (10-fold above standard) to mice with heightened sensitivity to formaldehyde: detoxification-impaired Adh5

Indexed as

Folic AcidFormaldehydeMutagensAlcohol DehydrogenaseAnimalsCell LineDNA AdductsFemaleHumansMiceMice, KnockoutTetrahydrofolatesAdh5 protein, mouseAlcohol DehydrogenaseDNA AdductsFolic AcidFormaldehydeMutagensTetrahydrofolates

Identifiers

PMID42587126
PMCPMC13562568

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.