Bowhead whales may resist cancer thanks to superior DNA repair ability

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The cells of bowhead whales look to beryllium amended astatine repairing DNA than those of humans aliases mice, and this whitethorn explicate why they unrecorded to complete 200 pinch debased rates of cancer

By Carissa Wong

Bowhead whales tin unrecorded for much than 200 years

Nature Picture Library / Alamy Stock Photo

Bowhead whales, nan world’s longest-lived mammals, are seldom affected by crab and this whitethorn partially beryllium down to their cells repairing damaged DNA very efficiently.

Large animals person much cells than smaller ones, truthful they should beryllium much apt to get cancer, but this doesn’t look to beryllium nan case. This unexpected arena is known arsenic Peto’s paradox.

In fact, galore monolithic animals person very debased rates of cancer, including bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus), which tin measurement much than …

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