Alcohol may cause cancer by damaging stem cell DNA: study

Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-05 13:32:53|Editor: Jiaxin
Video PlayerClose

LONDON, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Drinking alcohol may cause irreversible damage to the DNA of stem cells and increase the risk of developing certain cancers, a new study has revealed.

Using genetically modified mice, British scientists found that acetaldehyde, a toxin produced as the body processes alcohol, can slice through the DNA within blood stem cells and cause permanent damage.

In the study, published recently in the journal Nature, the mice lost their ability to reproduce fresh blood after being given diluted alcohol for ten days.

Sequencing the genome of the stem cells indicated that their DNA had been scrambled to the point that the cells no longer functioned.

When healthy stem cells are faulty, they can give rise to cancerous cells, particularly in the mouth, throat, oesophagus, breast and so on.

The effects of such damage can be neutralized, however, by the body's two-layer defence mechanism. The first layer is a protective enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), which prevents build-ups of acetaldehyde, and the second repairs the DNA damage.

In the study, mice lacking ALDH2 suffered four times as damage compared with the other ones.

About 8 percent of the world's population, mostly those of East Asian ancestry, are born with an deficiency in ALDH2.

"Our study highlights that not being able to process alcohol effectively can lead to an even higher risk of alcohol-related DNA damage and therefore certain cancers," said Ketan Patel, who led the research at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001368740131
国产无码在线观看免费在线,37pao国产成视频,日韩一区二区视频在线,国产国产人免费人成免费视频麻豆
中文字幕少妇偷乱视频在线 | 亚洲午夜成人精品不卡在线 | 天天爽夜夜爽人人爽一区二区 | 天天看高清国产在线 | 日本人妖在线专区 | 亚洲乱码AV乱码国产精品 |