(Press-News.org) New research looking at the biological process involved in breast cancer development has strengthened the argument for a potential link between alcohol consumption and the disease.
Scientists from The University of Manchester – part of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre – and the University of Salford looked at a particular enzyme, a biological molecule that accelerates chemical reactions - known as CYP2E1.
Their findings offer a possible target to improve outcomes for patients in the later stages of the disease.
Dr Costas Demonacos, based at The University's Manchester Pharmacy School who led the research, said: "This enzyme, known as CYP2E1, has been implicated in various liver diseases linked to alcohol consumption (Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD), as well as diabetes, obesity and cancer.
"We wanted to understand why an enzyme known to function mainly in the liver was found to be heavily present in some types of breast cancer tissues. We also wanted to explore what other activities this enzyme might have that control the development of breast cancer."
The enzyme breaks down various molecules within cells, including alcohol. The by-products of this metabolism include reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in something called oxidative stress - in normal physiological conditions this aids cellular functions, whereas when concentrations of ROS are high or oxidative stress becomes chronic, cells can be seriously damaged.
Previous studies have shown that the enzyme is most strongly expressed in early-stage breast tumours rather than more developed tumours and scientists believe that it contributes to the progression of breast cancer. The Manchester team looked at the role it plays in various cellular functions in breast cancer cells.
The study, published in Breast Cancer Research, found that depending on the stage of the breast cancer, high levels of the enzyme can help cells survive during stress.
They also found that inhibiting the activity of the enzyme in cells with high migratory potential promoted cell migration – a process linked to cancer spreading – known as metastasis.
Dr Demonacos said: "Now that we have a clearer picture of the role played by this enzyme in breast cancer development, scientists could use it as a target in the later stages of the disease, to slow down the spread of cancer as well as to personalise anti-cancer therapy.
"Since CYP2E1 is involved in alcohol metabolism too, our findings should allow new insight on the potential link between chronic alcohol consumption and breast cancer, by showing how alcohol influences the progression of cancer."
INFORMATION:
The research was also carried out by Professor Marija Krstic-Demonacos from the University of Salford.
Alcohol-breakdown molecule may play a role in breast cancer development
New research looking at the biological process involved in breast cancer development has strengthened the argument for a potential link between alcohol consumption and the disease
2014-02-11
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Impulse spending? Save money by getting organized
2014-02-11
Reality television has turned the spotlight on to people with excessive behaviors like hoarding and stockpiling. According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, controlling the chaotic environment may be one of the biggest factors in helping people stop.
"We propose that people in a disorganized environment experience a threat to their sense of personal control—and being surrounded by chaos ultimately impairs their ability to perform other tasks requiring 'brain' power," write authors Boyoun (Grace) Chae (University of British Columbia) and Rui (Juliet) ...
First 3-D movies of living sperm
2014-02-11
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2014—To improve their chances of success, in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics need to assess the viability of the sperm they use. Now doctors may soon have a new technique to help them sort the good sperm cells from the less viable ones: a tracking system, developed by a team of researchers from four European institutions, that takes 3-D movies of living sperm. In addition to showing the sperm's movement and behavior in real time, the novel method simultaneously provides detailed 3-D imaging of the sperm's form and structure to detect potential infertility-causing ...
Population bomb may be defused, but research reveals ticking household bomb
2014-02-11
After decades of fretting about population explosion, scientists are pointing to a long-term hidden global menace.
The household. More specifically, the household explosion.
In this week's Early Online edition of Population and Environment, Jianguo "Jack" Liu, director of the Michigan State University Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, and former students Mason Bradbury and Nils Peterson present the first long-term historical look at global shifts in how people live. One large household sheltering many people is giving way across the world to households ...
Implementing an advance care planning program in German nursing homes
2014-02-11
In the 1990s advance care planning (ACP) developed as an alternative to the traditional approach to creating advance directives. In contrast to the traditional approach, the ACP concept views advance health care planning as a lifelong communication process. All persons in a target group are actively offered professional facilitation. Furthermore, the relevant institutions and professionals are involved and receive regular training and updates. They thus assume responsibility for ensuring that newly written advance directives are relevant, valid, available when needed, and ...
A breast cancer drug to fight fungal disease?
2014-02-11
The drug tamoxifen appears to kill a fungus associated with a deadly brain infection that afflicts HIV/AIDS patients, according to a University of Rochester study published online today by mBio, the journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
The findings, by Damian J. Krysan, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology and Immunology at the UR School of Medicine and Dentistry, point to an example of Rochester researchers looking to repurpose older drugs by discovering new applications for secondary properties of the drug. In this case, investigators ...
A new postal code for cancer
2014-02-11
This news release is available in German.
Scientists have discovered that a polymer can provide a key to get into tumors: Prof. Prasad Shastri, Director of the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry and core member of the cluster of excellence BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies at the University of Freiburg, and graduate students Julia Voigt and Jon Christensen have developed a new paradigm to home nanoparticles, containers that measure a few 100 nanometers in size, to endothelial cells. Using just charged polymers with the right affinity for cell lipids ...
Urban bees using plastic to build hives
2014-02-11
Once the snow melts, Canada's bee population will be back in business -- pollinating, making honey and keeping busy doing bee things. For at least two urban bee species, that means making nests out of plastic waste.
A new study by a University of Guelph graduate and a U of G scientist reveals that some bees use bits of plastic bags and plastic building materials to construct their nests. The research was published recently in the journal Ecosphere.
It's an important discovery because it shows bees' resourcefulness and flexibility in adapting to a human-dominated world, ...
MIT robot may accelerate trials for stroke medications
2014-02-11
The development of drugs to treat acute stroke or aid in stroke recovery is a multibillion-dollar endeavor that only rarely pays off in the form of government-approved pharmaceuticals. Drug companies spend years testing safety and dosage in the clinic, only to find in Phase III clinical efficacy trials that target compounds have little to no benefit. The lengthy process is inefficient, costly, and discouraging, says Hermano Igo Krebs, a principal research scientist in MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering.
"Most drug studies failed and some companies are getting ...
First observation of a human HAT, key proteins in numerous pathologies
2014-02-11
The researcher Manuel Palacín, head of the Heterogenic and Multigenic Diseases lab at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), in Barcelona, is among the world's experts in HATs (heteromeric amino acid transporters).
In humans, there are eight HAT molecules. These are associated, for example, with the following: rare diseases called aminoacidurias, such as lysinuric protein intolerance and cystinuria; the development of infections caused by the Kaposi sarcoma virus; various types of cancer; and relapse in cocaine use. HATs are, as the name implies, amino acid ...
Rare cancers: the challenge of accurate diagnosis -- press release
2014-02-11
Brussels, Belgium, 11 February 2014 -- Inaccurate diagnosis is a major obstacle for the proper treatment of patients with rare cancers. A Consensus on Improving the Pathologic Diagnosis of Rare Cancers was presented today by RARE CANCERS EUROPE, together with the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the European Society of Pathology (ESP) in Brussels. The recommendations aim to help rare cancer patients get a timely and accurate diagnosis.
The statement is the result of a two-day workshop, where the particular challenges for each type of rare cancer(1) were ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Fig trees convert atmospheric CO2 to stone
Intra-arterial tenecteplase for acute stroke after successful endovascular therapy
Study reveals beneficial microbes that can sustain yields in unfertilized fields
Robotic probe quickly measures key properties of new materials
Climate change cuts milk production, even when farmers cool their cows
Frozen, but not sealed: Arctic Ocean remained open to life during ice ages
Some like it cold: Cryorhodopsins
Demystifying gut bacteria with AI
Human wellbeing on a finite planet towards 2100: new study shows humanity at a crossroads
Unlocking the hidden biodiversity of Europe’s villages
Planned hydrogen refuelling stations may lead to millions of euros in yearly losses
Planned C-sections increase the risk of certain childhood cancers
Adults who have survived childhood cancer are at increased risk of severe COVID-19
Drones reveal extreme coral mortality after bleaching
New genetic finding uncovers hidden cause of arsenic resistance in acute promyelocytic leukemia
Native habitats hold the key to the much-loved smashed avocado’s future
Using lightning to make ammonia out of thin air
Machine learning potential-driven insights into pH-dependent CO₂ reduction
Physician associates provide safe care for diagnosed patients when directly supervised by a doctor
How game-play with robots can bring out their human side
Asthma: patient expectations influence the course of the disease
UNM physician tests drug that causes nerve tissue to emit light, enabling faster, safer surgery
New study identifies EMP1 as a key driver of pancreatic cancer progression and poor prognosis
XPR1 identified as a key regulator of ovarian cancer growth through autophagy and immune evasion
Flexible, eco-friendly electronic plastic for wearable tech, sensors
Can the Large Hadron Collider snap string theory?
Stuckeman professor’s new book explores ‘socially sustainable’ architecture
Synthetic DNA nanoparticles for gene therapy
New model to find treatments for an aggressive blood cancer
Special issue of Journal of Intensive Medicine analyzes non-invasive respiratory support
[Press-News.org] Alcohol-breakdown molecule may play a role in breast cancer developmentNew research looking at the biological process involved in breast cancer development has strengthened the argument for a potential link between alcohol consumption and the disease