methylglyoxal

[meth-uhl-glahy-ok-sal, -suhl]

noun

Chemistry.

1. pyruvic aldehyde.

Word History and Origins

Origin of methylglyoxal¹

1895–1900; methyl- + glyoxal, equivalent to gly(col) + oxal(ic acid)

Example Sentences

They demonstrated that cells from such patients were particularly sensitive to the effects of methylglyoxal, which is a chemical produced when our cells break down glucose to create energy.

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The team's research also suggested that people who do not inherit a faulty copy of BRCA2 but could experience higher-than-normal levels of methylglyoxal -- such as patients with diabetes or pre-diabetes, which are connected with obesity or poor diet -- can accumulate similar warning signs indicating a higher risk of developing cancer.

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Prof Venkitaraman elaborated, "Our research suggests that patients with high methylglyoxal levels may have higher cancer risk. Methylglyoxal can be easily detected by a blood test for HbA1C, which could potentially be used as a marker. Furthermore, high methylglyoxal levels can usually be controlled with medicines and a good diet, creating avenues for proactive measures against the initiation of cancer."

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The NUS team has now found that methylglyoxal can temporarily inactivate such cancer-preventing genes, suggesting that repeated episodes of poor diet or uncontrolled diabetes can 'add up' over time to increase cancer risk.

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Bloch, who left a career in media to start her company, was inspired by the healing properties of manuka honey, a rare variety that contains uniquely high levels of the antibacterial compound methylglyoxal and is produced exclusively by bees that pollinate the manuka tree, a fragrant shrub that grows only in New Zealand and parts of Australia.

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