A new study has found that their genes and longevity hold the key to resisting cancer
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himThe whales never stop giving us surprises. These mammals, increasingly threatened to man, have extraordinary capabilities that are still little known. But a new study by an international research team has found that their genes and longevity hold the key to resisting cancer.
Why are cetaceans less prone to cancer and live so long? This is the question that the researchers of the ICAEV, the Universidad Austral de Chile and the University of Liverpool have tried to answer. Thus, they discovered suppressor genes linked to both whale longevity and the absence of cancer risk. In particular, there were two species of whales endowed with these characteristics.
Previous research had shown that many whales defy a trend in the animal kingdom where larger animals tend to have a higher chance of developing cancer, which affects their lifespan. Instead, it turned out that one species of whale lives up to 200 years.
In this new study, published in PNAS, the researchers tested the theory that genetics may play a role in longevity and protection against cancer.
To this end, they studied the genes of two types of long-lived whales. They created genetic maps of parts of their genetic codes that contain tumor suppressor genes and then compared them to other mammals, both marine and terrestrial, including the human genome.
The differences between the maps showed 71 tumor suppressor genes present in both whales. But not only. The study is also credited with accurately identifying whale genes linked to human conditions such as leukemia, cancer, and nervous system problems. As a result, aging genes from whales and potentially other cetaceans may be able to prevent some types of cancer from developing.
“Taken together, these results provide evolutionary evidence that natural selection could act on species with large body sizes and extended lifespans, providing new insights into the genetic basis of disease resistance,” the study authors explain.
While more studies will be needed to understand this mechanism, it seems increasingly likely that whales are less likely to get cancer and live longer.
Incredible creatures, which will never cease to amaze us.
Sources of reference: Pnas, Phys.org
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