Alcohol-breakdown molecule may play a role in breast cancer development

12 Feb 2014 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 - looked at a particular enzyme, a biological molecule that accelerates chemical reactions - known as CYP2E1. 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.