"In cancer biology, there's a conundrum known as Peto's paradox: Large animals have lots of cells, which in theory should mean more chances to develop cancer. And long-lived organisms have more time to acquire the mutations needed to transform healthy cells into cancerous ones. And yet "that's not what happens," says Vera Gorbunova, a biologist at the University of Rochester. "It suggests that these large and longer-lived animals have additional protections from cancer that they evolved.""
"Gorbunova and her colleagues now say that they've found one such protection in the bowhead whale, a long-lived leviathan. These animals utilize a protein which they produce in abundance that excels at repairing broken DNA. "Instead of eliminating malignant cells," says Gorbunova, "they maintain their cells better so they don't accumulate as many mutations." Vincent Lynch, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Buffalo who wasn't involved in the study, argues the findings may one day have broader applications."
Bowhead whales produce abundant levels of a protein that excels at repairing broken DNA, helping prevent mutation accumulation. Large and long-lived animals face increased cancer risk due to more cells and longer lifespans, but some species evolved additional protections. The bowhead strategy prioritizes maintaining genomic integrity rather than eliminating pre-malignant cells. Elephants reduce cancer risk by having many copies of a tumor suppressor gene that encodes p53, while humans have a single copy. Translating protective mechanisms from other species into human treatments is complex but could inspire therapies that mimic those biological strategies.
Read at www.npr.org
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