Uncovering the Dual Nature of Formaldehyde: University of Leicester Chemists Develop Compounds to Study the Chemical's Impact on Biology

Key Highlights :

1. University of Leicester chemists have developed new compounds that allow scientists to study a chemical that is present in all living things but which has so far proven too volatile and too reactive to study with ease.

2. Formaldehyde is prevalent in nature and also has a variety of uses such as a glue and a sterilizing agent, famously used in artworks by Damien Hirst.

3. It is also known to be a human toxin and carcinogen (has the potential to cause cancer ) in high doses.

4. Scientists are seeing growing evidence that formaldehyde plays an important role in our biology despite its potential toxicity, giving it a dual nature much like the literary characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

5. However, studying formaldehyde inside a cell is challenging because of its volatility and reactivity.

6. It is important to understand what makes the molecule toxic and carcinogenic as this could help scientists to find ways to prevent or treat those effects.

     Formaldehyde is a ubiquitous chemical found in nature, in our cells, and in everyday products such as glue and artworks. It is also known to be a human toxin and carcinogen in high doses, but evidence is emerging that it plays an important role in our biology. To probe its impact on our cells more accurately, a team of chemists at the University of Leicester have developed a new library of compounds designed to release formaldehyde in cells in controlled amounts.

     The compounds, detailed in a recent study in the journal Chemical Science, are partly inspired by compounds used in the cosmetics industry that release low levels of formaldehyde over time. This could help scientists to study a chemical that is present in all living things but which has so far proven too volatile and too reactive to study with ease.

     Dr. Richard Hopkinson from the University of Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology noted, “The scientific community ideally needs ways to deliver formaldehyde in a quantifiable, controllable way that is reproducible. The problem is that formaldehyde's high reactivity and volatility makes that really challenging.”

     Formaldehyde is linked to a number of different types of cancer, particularly with nose and throat cancers from inhaling formaldehyde, but it is often difficult for scientists to draw a conclusive link between formaldehyde exposure and the onset of disease. However, Dr. Hopkinson notes that there is also emerging evidence suggesting that formaldehyde plays a role in our metabolism.

     “We are producing formaldehyde all the time inside us but it is a very reactive chemical and most things in biology are not that reactive,” he said. “We think it might actually be an important nutrient, not just a toxin, but that having too much or even too little formaldehyde could tip us over the edge into disease. If we can work out exactly what formaldehyde is doing inside cells, hopefully we can begin to answer these important questions.”

     The new compounds developed by the University of Leicester chemists could be a crucial step in understanding formaldehyde's dual nature and its impact on our biology. By being able to control the amount of formaldehyde released in cells, scientists can more precisely measure its effects and better understand how to prevent or treat its potential toxicity.

Continue Reading at Source : phys