Researchers in Japan confirm DNA damage from acetaldehyde found in body after drinking

People toast with beer in Nagoya’s Naka Ward on July 6, 2023. (Mainichi/Kenichiro Fuji)

TOKYO — A team of researchers from the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science has confirmed damage to human cell DNA caused by acetaldehyde, a chemical compound generated in the body after alcohol consumption.

While organisms have the ability to repair damaged DNA, when the damage is large, it can lead to cancer and aging. This may be a contributing factor in the adverse effects of alcohol on the body.

Acetaldehyde is a harmful substance produced during the breakdown of alcohol in the body, and causes hangover symptoms such as headaches and heartburn. In their experiments, the researchers exposed human immune cells with disabled DNA repair genes and normal immune cells to the chemical compound. They found that the cells with disabled genes were about three times more likely to die compared to the normal cells.

The team further found that the cells exposed to acetaldehyde exhibited abnormal chromosome structures frequently found in cancer cells.

Previous research has shown that repeated DNA damage and repair accelerate aging. The team points out that alcohol-induced DNA damage may lead to the risk of triggering age-related diseases.

Research team member Hiroyuki Sasanuma, a project leader at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, commented, “We can’t rule out that acetaldehyde may also be linked to aging, not just cancer. We’ve been able to clarify what kind of damage alcohol consumption causes to DNA. This could provide insights for preventing diseases associated with excessive alcohol consumption.”

The findings of the team’s study on acetaldehyde-induced DNA damage and repair mechanisms were published online in the British science journal Cell Cycle on April 3.

(Japanese original by Ryo Watanabe, Lifestyle, Science & Environment News Department)