Elephant Genes Hold Cancer-Fighting Secret By Laura Geggel: Article Analysis
In the article, “Elephant Genes Hold Cancer-Fighting Secret,” the author, Laura Geggel, explains how researchers have recently discovered that cancer is less common in elephants than in humans because they have more copies of a gene that stops tumor growth. Researchers that understand how this gene has evolved and why it works to stop cancer growth in elephants may be able help find ways to treat or cure cancer in humans. Researchers conducted a study that focused mainly on the TP53 gene, which normally codes for a protein that stops tumor growth. In many human cancers, this gene is mutated and unable to do its job, which allows increased cell reproduction and genomic instability. Humans inherit one copy of TP53 from each of their parents and
humans that inherit only inherit one copy works have a high chance of developing Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which would give them an enormous chance of getting cancer. On the other hand, elephants receive a minimum of 20 copies of TP53 from each parent, thus giving them a better chance to fight cancer cell or tumor reproduction. In the study, which consisted of 11 people without Li-Fraumeni, 10 people with it and eight elephants, blood cells were taken from each participant and exposed to radiation, and when a healthy cell was exposed TP53 generates events that kill that cell. This means any cell with a high chance of becoming cancerous would be killed and unable to continue in the body, thus allowing for less cancer cells to be present in the body. The results were that people with Li-Fraumeni only killed 2.7% of their cancerous cells, the people with healthy cells killed 7.2% and the elephants killed 14.6%. Researchers concluded that the elephant’s low rate of cancer evolved over time because the elephants with more copies of TP53 had a survival advantage, that being that they were less likely to develop cancer, over elephants with less copies, and then were likely to pass those genes to their offspring. This study explains why humans are so ill-adapted but the researchers were also quick to note that while TP53 helps prevent cancer, it is likely not enough when cancers are becoming more and more common in humans due to poor human behaviors such as smoking, tanning, bad dieting and drinking.
humans that inherit only inherit one copy works have a high chance of developing Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which would give them an enormous chance of getting cancer. On the other hand, elephants receive a minimum of 20 copies of TP53 from each parent, thus giving them a better chance to fight cancer cell or tumor reproduction. In the study, which consisted of 11 people without Li-Fraumeni, 10 people with it and eight elephants, blood cells were taken from each participant and exposed to radiation, and when a healthy cell was exposed TP53 generates events that kill that cell. This means any cell with a high chance of becoming cancerous would be killed and unable to continue in the body, thus allowing for less cancer cells to be present in the body. The results were that people with Li-Fraumeni only killed 2.7% of their cancerous cells, the people with healthy cells killed 7.2% and the elephants killed 14.6%. Researchers concluded that the elephant’s low rate of cancer evolved over time because the elephants with more copies of TP53 had a survival advantage, that being that they were less likely to develop cancer, over elephants with less copies, and then were likely to pass those genes to their offspring. This study explains why humans are so ill-adapted but the researchers were also quick to note that while TP53 helps prevent cancer, it is likely not enough when cancers are becoming more and more common in humans due to poor human behaviors such as smoking, tanning, bad dieting and drinking.