Protein changes associated with prenatal exposure to arsenic may hold the key to understanding the workings of adult-onset diseases tied to arsenic in the environment, a study at the University of North Carolina has found. In an article published online in Toxicological Sciences by the Oxford Journals, Dr. Rebecca C. Fry, associate professor of environmental sciences and engineering at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health and colleagues identified biological pathways that were altered at the protein level by in utero arsenic exposure. The study’s results suggest that the proteins may be used as biomarkers for exposure to arsenic and predictors of disease risk.