A team of researchers at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK, discovered a unique fact: fossilized dinosaurs could provide information regarding cancer treatment.
The team uncovered a 70-million-year-old Romanian ‘marsh lizard’, which belonged to the species identified as the Telmatosaurus transsylvanicus dinosaur. Approximately, its size might be that of a cow.
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Cancer Clues found from studies
According to previous studies, they discovered a tumor in the dinosaur’s jaw. The tumor found in the dinosaur’s jaw is an ameloblastoma tumor, which is found in humans even today.
Apart from that they found structures similar to red blood cells using a high resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The small tissues that have come to light might be informative and a probable cure to cancer. These soft tissues are preserved for millions of years inside the ancient bones.
They also applied paleoproteomic techniques, which study ancient proteins found in fossils. Information regarding tumor development, and cancer suppression can be known from this technique.
Oncologist Justin Stebbing, UK, revealed that studying the molecular information present in the proteins of these tissues can offer vital information about the biological workings of these animals. Information related to suppressor genes could be revealed, which might be relevant to cancer studies.
Other creatures like whales and elephants suffer from cancer too. However, a tumor suppressor gene resists them from cancer. Thus, dinosaurs may have their own cancer-fighting mechanisms too.
Future of Modern Medicine
This groundbreaking discovery has opened up a new way of approaching cancer studies for scientists and researchers across the world. The idea that dinosaurs could hold clues to cancer treatments is absolutely strange yet fantastic.
More and more techniques and scanning technologies are being applied to analyze extinct dinosaurs. This reminds us that certain diseases are not only inherent to humans but to animals as well. This stands as one of the foundational discoveries in the area of cancer treatment and might offer us life-saving solutions.
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