Studying cancer in animals might help cure humans: research

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NEW YORK, July 23, 2018 (BSS/Xinhua) – Studying animals regarding the
occurrence and deterrence of cancer might provide insights into the treatment
and prevention of the intractable disease in humans, new studies have shown.

The incidence of cancer varies among species. Elephants, which can live up
to 60-70 years and have 100 times as many cells as humans, show a far lower
cancer risk. In the dog breed Golden Retrievers, which have a life span of
just 10-12 years, half of the deaths result from cancer, according to an
article titled “Rarity of cancer in elephants may help explain cancer in
humans” that was published in The Washington Post on Saturday.

The fact that elephants are resistant to cancer has been intriguing to
scientists and there have been shocking findings. A team of researchers at
the University of Utah in the United States has revealed in March that
elephants have 40 copies of the TP53 gene, whereas humans and most other
animals only have two. The TP53 gene can stop rogue cells from growing and
spreading, thus containing the forming of tumors, the article said.

The team also identified three genes in elephants that prevent cell
mutations. Unlike human cells that tend to repair themselves when exposed to
damaging substances and thus have a greater chance to mutate and transform
into tumor cells, elephant cells simply die under such circumstances, the
article said.

Many other animals that have been known to rarely get cancer include mole
rats, whales, bats and horses. A five-inch-long variety of rodent in East
Africa, the mole rat, can survive for up to 32 years and rarely suffers from
tumors, The Washington Post article said.

Experts who have been tracking the animal identified multiple mechanisms
that prevent the uncontrollable growth of tumors, including hyaluronic acid,
a gene called p16, and a senescence mechanism, according to an article
published in Nature Reviews Cancer this month.

Aside from studying animals with a low incidence of cancer, scientists
also study those that are susceptible to it so as to gain insights into the
same types of cancer found in humans. For instance, scientists have been
studying bone cancer in dogs such as Irish Wolfhounds to find out mechanisms
of the disease that is rarely found in humans, according to The Washington
Post article.

The study of cancer in animals is just at its start. But there is hope
that new ways of fighting human cancer such as gene therapy and pharmacology
will result from the research.