The Turtle They are recognized for their extreme longevity and their enormous variety of body size. In theory, large and long organisms should face a greater risk of cancer due to the largest number of cells and their cellular replacement throughout their lives; However, cancer seems to be exceptionally rare in Turtle
Il Current knowledge of the prevalence of cancer in turtles is based on zoological necropsyPathological reports and comparative studies of cancer, and present new data which cover other species and which strengthen this model.
Nouveau Molecular evidence suggests that turtles have high resistance to oxidative stress and protein deregulationThis could contribute to cancer resistance. Given its extreme longevity and its unique physiology, the Turtle They represent a promising model, although little explored, to study the evolution of longevity and natural mechanisms of the abolition of cancer.
Study of turtles to better treat cancer
The Turtle rarely sick of cancer due to unique biological mechanisms who protect them despite their large size and longevity. Consequently, scientists have stressed that they can be very useful and promising models to study healthy aging and resistance to human cancer.
A new study, Coordinated by researchers from the University of Nottingham (United Kingdom), he has provided the most solid evidence so far that cancer is extremely rare in turtles. Only 1% of individuals are affected by this disease, a figure much lower than that of mammals or birds. The results are published in the magazine Bioscience.
The study was led by Researcher Ylenia Chiari, from the Faculty of Life Sciences of the University of Nottingham, with scientist Scott Glabermanof the University of Birmingham, and they collaborated zoos researchers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe, who reported medical records and a necropsy of hundreds of hundreds of hundreds of hundreds of hundreds of hundreds Turtle you zoo
The results were “surprising”, according to the researchers, not only because of the small number of cancer cases, but also because, when, when TumorsThey almost never spread.
Large and small, but long
A few Turtle species reach huge sizes; The giant turtles of galapagos and Aldabra, For example, they can weigh hundreds of kilograms and are also known for their long life, because many are a hundred. A turtle radiated from the Chester Zoo, called BurtHe was born in 1945 and can live more than 100 years, While some giant galapagos and Aldabra turtles have lived over 150 years.
What is predictable is that the big species of lanyards have a greater risk of cancer, because a greater number of cells implies greater probabilities that something is wrong, But the turtles seem to question this model, according to work.
The secret could reside in his Strong defenses against cell damage, a slow metabolism that reduces cell stress and unique genes that protect them from cancer. Consequently, researchers stressed that these animals could offer precious clues to prevent or treat cancer in humans and be a promising model to study healthy aging and cancer resistance.
The researcher Ylenia Chiari corroborated the “incredible” scarcity of cancer in these animals and stressed that the Turtle They are an unrecognized model to understand cancer resistance and Healthy aging. In addition, he appreciated the vital role that zoos play in the progress of science.
Several species of Turtles are classified as “threatened” or “critical in danger” in the red list of the International Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN)Due to various threats, including Climate change pressureLoss of housing and illegal pet trade. Ecotics.com