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Breeding Cancer-Proof Mice

Posted by timothy on from the still-not-drop-proof-though dept.

Bob Vila's Hammer writes "In an article at New Scientist, research scientists at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina have been able to breed a cancer-proof mouse. The lucky new finds, some 700 cancer-proof mice, have the ability to destroy numerous different kinds of cancer cells in their bodies very efficiently without the use of T-cells (white blood cells). Instead the body's innate immune system attacks the tumor cells and ruptures them with neutrophils and macrophages. What is so astounding within early findings is that the power of these mice to resist cancer seems to be unlimited and as well, a genetic trait able to be passed down to further generations without the negative results of previous mouse breeds with autoimmune diseases."

3 of 43 comments (clear)

  1. This is great, but I wonder... by clambake · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's awesome that we can do this, and the implications are incredible if we can apply them to humans, but I wonder if we are going to build a breed of super cancer proof humans and then find out that there is actually a reason why we produce cancers., "Oh, I get it, so THAT what cancer was for..."

    1. Re:This is great, but I wonder... by darkmeridian · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Evolution would only select against stimuli that would inhibit the transfer of genetic material to future generations. Cancer does not necessarily do this. People get cancer, generally, after they have children. Thus, their "flawed" genes are not removed. Someone did an experiment with fruit flies and only let those who lived past a certain age reproduce. After a few generations, the new bred flies all lived really long. Hmmmm...

      Or perhaps cancer works to hone out weak immune systems. Should people with weak immune systems be honed out if it is what nature wants? How about people who can't see ten feet without glasses? Wouldn't we not exist without them. ("What's that sound?" ).

      --
      A NYC lawyer blogs. http://www.chuangblog.com/
  2. Cancer-proof mice/rats? Bad news... by sladelink · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Anyone else here ever had a mouse or rat that died of cancer? I haven't had one yet that didn't die of huge cancerous tumors. Does anyone know the standard rate of cancer in small rodents, because if it's fairly high, I REALLY hope that they don't let this trait out of the lab and into the sewers/fields.

    --
    sigs are dumb.