Team:TAS Taipei

TAS_TAIPEI Attributions About Us Safety Human Practices Modeling Prototype Experiments Project

2018 Awards: Gold Medal, Best Entrepreneurship, Nominated Best Wiki, Presentation, Poster, Integrated Human Practices, Education & Public Engagement, Model, Product Design

ABSTRACT

Turning red after consuming alcohol may seem like a mere social inconvenience. Yet, this flushing response is caused by an accumulation of acetaldehyde, a carcinogenic intermediate of alcohol metabolism. Acetaldehyde is broken down into harmless acetate by aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). ALDH2 deficiency, the result of a point mutation in the ALDH2 gene, produces a much less efficient ALDH2 enzyme, leading to an accumulation of acetaldehyde and the subsequent flushing response. While about 8% of the global population is ALDH2 deficient, in our home, Taiwan, approximately 47% of the population carries this genetic mutation--the highest percentage in the world! Studies show that ALDH2 deficiency greatly increases the risk of developing esophageal and head and neck cancer. Thus, our project aims to produce recombinant ALDH2 to decrease levels of acetaldehyde in the upper digestive tract region. We envision delivery of ALDH2 as a purified protein or in consumer-friendly probiotics.

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SAY NO 🙅 TO GLOW 💡
Turning red 🍅 after consuming alcohol 🍷🍺 may seem like a mere social inconvenience 🤷. Yet, this flushing response 😡 is caused by an accumulation of acetaldehyde, a carcinogenic 💀 intermediate of alcohol 🥂🥃 metabolism. Acetaldehyde is broken down 📉 into harmless acetate by aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). ALDH2 deficiency, the result of a point 👉 mutation in the ALDH2 gene, produces a much less efficient 🐢 ALDH2 enzyme, leading to an accumulation of acetaldehyde and the subsequent flushing response 😡. While about 8% of the global 🌍 population is ALDH2 deficient, in our home 🏡, Taiwan, approximately 47% of the population carries this genetic mutation--the highest percentage in the world 🤦‍! Studies show that ALDH2 deficiency greatly increases 📈 the risk of developing esophageal and head and neck cancer 🚑. Thus, our project 👨‍🔬👩‍🔬 aims to produce recombinant ALDH2 to decrease 📉 levels of acetaldehyde in the upper digestive tract region. We envision 👀 delivery 🍬🍦 of ALDH2 as a purified protein or in consumer-friendly probiotics.