• Question: Is it true sharks are immune to cancer?

    Asked by issiphee1 to Jo, Leo on 25 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Leo Garcia

      Leo Garcia answered on 25 Jun 2010:


      It is very rare for sharks to get cancer because they have a very strong resistance to developing it. This is because they have genes which are extremely effective at stopping tumour growth. Scientists are very interested in looking at these genes to try to understand what happens when people get cancer, and furthermore, ways of using the gene to stop it.

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