Mutant Allele Affects East Asian Hangovers
If you’re East Asian and suffer from cardiovascular complications, drowsiness, nausea, asthma, and facial flushing when drinking and have worse hangovers, then you just might be a mutant. About 40 to 45% of Japanese people have the mutant form of an inactive form of enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2), which is supposed to eliminate acetaldehyde (one of the causes of hangovers). Researchers have now identified the mutant allele that causes this.
I wonder if it would be scientifically irresponsible to use gene therapy to create a superdrinker.
