Alda-1 Repairs Defective Alcohol Metabolism Enzyme
Monday, January 11, 2010 - 13:56
in Health & Medicine
A molecule called Alda-1 can repair Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), an often defective alcohol metabolism enzyme that affects an estimated 1 billion people worldwide, according to research published Jan. 10 in the advance online edition of Nature Structural and Molecular Biology. The findings suggest the possibility of a treatment to reduce the health problems associated with the enzyme defect. After alcohol is consumed, it is metabolized into acetaldehyde, a toxic chemical that causes DNA damage. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is the main enzyme responsible for breaking down acetaldehyde into acetate, a nontoxic metabolite in the body. It also removes other toxic aldehydes that can accumulate in the body. read more