Chernobyl wolves turned out to be “immortal” – MK
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Biologist: wolves in Chernobyl have a genome that allows them not to die from cancer
Wolves living in the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant have a genome that allows them not to die from cancer caused by radiation. This discovery is described in a research article by Princeton University biologist Kara Love (published on the website of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology).
In 2014, Love and her colleagues went to the Chernobyl wolves and took blood tests from them. Using collars equipped with GPS sensors and radiation dosimeters, scientists received real-time data about where the animals were, as well as indicators of the radiation to which their bodies were exposed.
It turned out that wolves have an altered immune system. Love identified specific regions of the wolf genome that are resistant to increased cancer risk. Chernobyl raptors are exposed to more than 11.28 millirem of radiation every day throughout their lives. This figure is more than six times the legal safety limit for humans.
Meanwhile, the body of dogs and their wild relatives – wolves – fights cancer in almost the same way as the human body. Scientists hope the study will help identify protective mutations that increase the chances of surviving cancer.
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