Scientists have discovered why wolves living in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exclusion zone do not die from cancer.
It turns out that they have a "special" gene that "protects" them from death due to radiation-induced cancer.
This is stated in an article by Princeton University biologist Kara Love, published on the website of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
Trip to the Chernobyl Wolves
As reported by MIA “Russia Today”, which has become familiar with this material, in 2014, Love and his colleagues “visited” the Chernobyl wolves.
Blood samples were taken from the animals – scientists wanted to understand how exactly the organisms of the fauna react to radiation, which leads to cancer.
Using collars equipped with GPS sensors and radiation dosimeters, specialists received real-time information about the location of the wolves.
Data on the level of radiation to which their bodies were exposed was also transmitted online.
What the researchers found out
Love found that Chernobyl wolves have altered immune systems, like people with cancer who undergo radiation therapy.
She identified specific regions of the wolf genome that appear to be resistant to increased cancer risk, the paper says.
It goes on to say that the scientists found that the wolves they studied were exposed to radiation levels in excess of 11.28 millirem daily throughout their lives.
This figure is more than 6 times higher than the established safety limit for an ordinary worker.
Project goal
According to the publication, the bodies of dogs and wolves resist cancer almost as well as the human body.
Love's research aimed to find protective mutations that increase the chances of survival in cancer.
Earlier, scientists reported that cancer incidence is increasing among young people worldwide.
