Cancer: Elephants Do Not Die of Cancer Nearly as Often as Humans, Even Though they have About 100 Times as Many Cells
When you listen to Wyclef's If I Was President this line of the lyrics of that song may strike a chord here:
Find the best scientists, tell them come up with the answer
I want the cure for AIDS and cancer
But I gotta watch my back
What if a cure for cancer is hidden in plain sight? Could the answer be held by the biggest land mammal on earth: the elephant?
Source
A Journal of the American Medical Journal of the American Medical Association study found that 5% mortality rate in Elephant compared to that of 25% in humans.
Deciphering the Puzzle
The elephant's Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which carries the genetic properties of growth, sex, development, etc was the suitable place to start in understanding this phenomenon.
As cancer is a mutation of a cell (an uncontrollable astronomical growth of a cell) there is a genome which is analogous to a smoke alarm that goes off to determine if a cell is killed or repaired. The alarm (cancer suppressor) is called TP53. There are 40 TP53 genes in elephant while humans have only two.
Source
That invariably implies that elephants genome are far more likely to kill about to go rogue cells than humans.
The TP53 gene (code for a protein) also known as "the guardian of the genome" is the gene in charge of cell's machinery which repairs DNA damage by stopping mutation before it results in cancer. If the damage is too critical, it prevents division and can even initiate the cell's death. All of these processes prevent a damaged cell from passing on potentially cancer-inducing changes to its daughter cells.
Is There A Use Of This For A Cure in Cancer in Humans?
Yes. Researchers have high hopes that the study and knowledge of how this gene evolved and works in elephants may help researchers develop ways to treat human cancer patients.
According to the researchers
Compared with other mammalian species, elephants appeared to have a lower-than-expected rate of cancer, potentially related to multiple copies of TP53. Compared with human cells, elephant cells demonstrated increased apoptotic response following DNA damage. These findings, if replicated, could represent an evolutionary-based approach for understanding mechanisms related to cancer suppression.
Read more on that amazing research findings here: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2456041
Wyclef may not have to wait to be a president to make the wish of a cure for cancer come true.
We all wish for a cure of cancer judging by many mortalities associated with it. Do you have thoughts on this article or a contribution about cancer to make? Please leave it below in the comment section.
Regards,
@greenrun ....still running
They are vegetarians and never eat meat or instant food. Then they are free of cancers.
I was discussing with a little girl who wanted to know all there is to cancer, I did not know why she was so interested in the matter though.
She asked, "where can one get cancer from." With this unhidden innocence. Again she went, "can one transmit cancer to me?" I just smiled at her keenness to know all these things.
Well cancer is a serious issue and needs cure urgently. We might not be able to answer most question and ask the right ones but we all know that cancer has killed so many.
Thank you for this wonderful one @greenrun.
I explained to tge best of my ability and how she could recognise someone who has it. Well am so much a food person, I told her some kibd of foods that might propel having cancer... not sure I gave her this explanation of yours but I will definitely add that when I see her again.
Thank you.
You are most welcome and thanks for the constant rejoinder.
The pleasure is all mine😊😁
Check out my last post on cancer and see if it will help you for a better explanation. It might not be food that is d cause of cancer. Its majorly compromised immune system. Infact the body needs good detoxification and less oxidative stress to help fight cancer occurence especially by eating healthy food choices
I just read it. That was quite an informative article you wrote about cancer and various treatment method. You are a true science student. Bravo.
Thank you for the compliments
I will check out your post on cancer, although what I meant by some food types are most of these can foods and drinks, these I know are very detrimental to health when consumed in large doses over long period of time. That I could say from my area of study. Thanks for the explanation, it added knowledge.
Alright girl. You are welcome. I personly have learnt alot of goodstuffs here on steemit
@greenrun ! How did you know my next post would be on cancer o! Lol. Whoa nice information. I was going to do a little scientific brief on cancer today or tommorrow. Nice job
I would be adding the ability to read minds and predict the future to the plethora of other abilities I seem to be garnering/observing of late. :)
Thanks for joining the conversation here.
Haha! I guess so
It will be a century breakthrough to find a cure to cancer (i hope they will), thanks for this
We hope it happens sooner than later.
Where is green-run running to?
I guess the moon?
Well.... Cancer!!!! Lemme keep learning from you guys..... I'll keep in touch with @cwen blog to see what will be up there soon
To Greensville located in Greenland. You are welcome to join me. Thank you very much.
You are welcome bro...
Cheers!!!!
Lemme see you for discord
Ok. That would be nice. Thanks
Well let's hope they can replicate it and make some progress on a cure. Thanks for the info :):)
Me too. It would nice to have a cure. So many had died because of it. Thank you.
I wish to contribute but what do I know... Lemme just read and learn.
We live and learn. Nothing much to it
This cancer stuff is really dreadful. Having to watch my boss's wife battle with heart-rending pains and eventually death brought me face to face with the realities of this night-mare-ish disease. I do believe that the cure is with nature and answers would emerge soon enough. Thank you for throwing more light on this.
Not a good thing to watch a sufferer as it is a sad and sometimes hopeless situation. Watching a loved one suffer knowing you are powerless to prevent their suffering is not something you'd wish on an enemy. We all want the cure. Nature should have one. I guess the scientist hasn't figured it out yet. Thank you.
For me, it depends on the kind of cancer since there are so many and their severity depends on the stage and part of the organ they attack. Good write up bro.
Sorry, I do not understand what you mean by it depends on the type of cancer. Can you please rephrase the statement? Thanks a lot.