Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, abbreviated as DHEA sulfate or DHEA-S, also known as prasterone sulfate, is an endogenous androstane steroid that is produced by the adrenal cortex. It is the the 3?-sulfate ester and a metabolite of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) that circulates in far greater relative concentrations. The steroid is hormonally inert and is instead an important neurosteroid and neurotrophin, as well as a metabolic intermediate in the biosynthesis of steroid hormones like the androgens and estrogens.