Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Application of AlDeSense to Stratify Ovarian Cancer Cells Based on Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1A1 Activity
Published on: March 31, 2023
Alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase in malignant neoplasms
Karolina Orywal1, Maciej Szmitkowski2
1Department of Biochemical Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 15 A, 15-276, Białystok, Poland. orywalk@umb.edu.pl.
Abstract:
According to International Agency for Research on Cancer, ethanol and acetaldehyde belong to group 1 of human carcinogens. The accurate mechanism by which alcohol consumption enhances carcinogenesis is still unexplained. Alcohol is oxidized primarily by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) to acetaldehyde, a substance capable of initiating carcinogenesis by forming adducts with proteins and DNA and causing mutations. Next, acetaldehyde is metabolized by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) to acetate. In tissues of many cancers, we can observe significantly higher activity of total alcohol dehydrogenase with any change in aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in comparison with healthy cells. Moreover, in malignant diseases of digestive system, significantly increased activity of ADH isoenzymes class I, III and IV was found. The gynecological, brain and renal cancers exhibit increased activity of class I ADH. ADH and ALDH can play also a crucial regulatory role in initiation and progression of malignant diseases by participation in retinoic acid synthesis and elimination of toxic acetaldehyde. Besides, changes of enzymes activities in tumor cells are reflected in serum of cancer patients, which create the possibilities of application ADH isoenzymes as cancer markers.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Electron Transport Chain: Complex I and II
ROS generation is regulated and maintained at moderate levels necessary...
Abnormal Proliferation
Aldehydes and Ketones with Alcohols: Hemiacetal Formation

