Common chemicals found in everyday items such as cosmetics, shampoos and alcohol can increase the risk of cancer, a new study led by an Indian-origin scientist warns. Aldehydes are a class of chemicals made in our own bodies in small quantities but increasingly found everywhere in our environment. Exposure to these chemicals has previously been linked with cancer, but the reasons for the link remain unclear.
Researchers, led by Professor from the University of Cambridge in the UK, used genetically-engineered human cells and cells from patients bearing a faulty copy of the breast cancer gene BRCA2 to identify the mechanism by which exposure to aldehydes could promote cancer. Damage to our DNA, which arises frequently as cells in our bodies divide, can lead to the development of cancers, but our body has its own defence mechanism that helps repair this damage. However, researchers found…
