The Secret of Elephants' Resistance to Cancer

Despite the fact that a massive animal like an elephant has many more cells than a human body, the incidence of cancer in this animal is very limited. Cancer is essentially the abnormal growth and division of body cells in a tissue. Therefore, the likelihood of developing it should increase with a higher number of cells. The limited incidence of cancer in elephants has intrigued researchers to discover the reason behind it. New findings regarding cancer growth in elephants may help in understanding new ways to prevent cancer in humans. According to the Associated Press, researchers have found that compared to human bodies, elephants may carry 20 times more cancer-fighting genes. These genes help damaged cells either to rebuild themselves or to self-destruct when exposed to cancerous cells, thereby preventing their infiltration. This discovery does not mean that the presence of these genes makes elephants immune to any risk of cancer, but it may assist scientists in developing drugs that mimic the effects of these genes in the human body. Dr. Joshua Schiffman, a pediatric oncologist at the University of Utah in the United States, leads this research. A few years ago, Joshua heard in a lecture that large animals like whales and elephants get cancer less frequently; this piqued his interest in the topic. He then began his research by testing on eight elephants. They wanted to observe the reaction of these animals' cells against cancerous cells and compare it with the reaction of human cells. The result was that elephant body cells destroy themselves at twice the speed of human cells when confronted with cancerous cells (thus preventing the infiltration and growth of cancerous cells). Although the results of this research may not have an immediate impact on understanding and discovering drugs for cancer in humans, researchers believe that new ways may be discovered in the coming years regarding cancer prevention and treatment.