Scientists from seven research institutions including University of Edinburgh have found that different molecules unique to elephants are activated in response to carcinogenic conditions. They say that this may have implications for cancer treatments in humans.
They discussed the p53 protein, which is known to give protection against cancers, and its 'handshake' interaction with another molecule named MDM2. These two molecules working together is essential to healthy cells dividing and replicating, damaged cells getting repaired, and destroying cells with failed repairs, say the scientists - however it can also deactivate the cancer-busting p53 protein.
It was found that elephants which have 20 copies of the p53 gene, compared to the two in humans, were less likely to have certain copies of the gene deactivated in the handshake interaction with MDM2, as it is in humans. This allows for increased sensitivity in the protein when responding against carcinogenic conditions.
