TransformerRobot Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 Are there animals that have genes for avoiding cancer? If so, what are they? Iota said the naked mole rate was one of them, but is it really? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharonY Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 There is something to it with respect to the naked mole rat, but it is outside of my expertise. However it does not appear to be a simple genetic connection. Instead, unusual hyaluronans appear to be related to their resistance to cancer (see Tian et al. 2013 Nature doi:10.1038/nature12234). Also note that the genes implicated in cancer are part of the normal genetic system of the organism. If a genetic link is assumed, the absence of genetic element could as likely reduce cancer risk as the presence of one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lattima Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 I believe that there is a species of tropical fish whose brain naturally makes an effective anti-carcinogen, however, its name eludes me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now