Let's Talk About the Elephant in the Room

that the future of cancer research and treatment could come in the form of a giant, gentle creature with a trunk and floppy ears? Researchers found that the loveable creatures that elephants are might just be the answer the world has been looking for. Researchers have discovered that elephants have a special gene called P53, which immediately works to rid the body of cancer cells before they do any damage.

Elephants have a <5% chance of getting cancer as opposed to the 39.5% chance human have there are many factors as to why this is. While humans only have one copy of P53, elephants have twenty which explains the ease in their battle against cancer. On a journey to discover the cure for the merciless disease that takes millions of lives each year, scientists analyze the genetic makeup of elephants by utilizing bioinformatic modeling technology, biochemical analysis, and computer simulations to study this gene on a molecular level.

P53 codes for a tumor protein that is also called the “guardian of the genome.” Essentially, this gene lives in our cells’ nuclei and acts as a tumor suppressor. When cells are penetrated by destructive external factors, like UV rays or radiation, P53 decides if the DNA should be repaired or destroyed. Furthermore, P53 is not only the leader making the important calls, but also the messenger. If it decides that the DNA needs to be repaired, it messages other genes to jump in and help. If it decides that the DNA should be destroyed, it prompts the cell to undergo a process called apoptosis, in which the cell self-destructs. By destroying cancerous cells, this special gene successfully prevents cancer and tumors.

In the human body, P53 does not work as efficiently. Researchers found that P53 works best in fighting against cancerous growths in the human breast and colon tissue; in other tissues, it is not as successful at preventing tumors. But in elephants, P53 is efficient in all areas of the body.

A 2011 study recorded in the National Library of Medicine found a shocking discovery: the human P53 gene might cause precancerous lesions or damaged areas of an organ or tissue to become a total malignant cell-carcinoma a cancerous growth that originates in tissue and covers an entire organ another sign that the humans’ P53 is inferior to elephants’.

Finally, researchers found that P53 isoforms do not degrade or get inactivated by cancer-cell survival genes in elephants, but they do in humans. But why are human cancer-fighting genes so weak? Science suggests that mutations and the lack of P53 in humans might be the explanation for why human P53 is not as strong as elephants’.

Recent discoveries found that elephants’ large body size—a result of evolution is why they have such an abundance of P53. Evolving into a larger size created new stressors and sensitivities in an elephants’ cells, hence their increased vulnerability to tumors. With all of this acclimating the genetic makeup of elephants had to do in the newly large-sized bodies, elephant bodies increased production of P53 building the internal cancer-fighting army that amazes the world today.

Cancer is a grim disease and is a consequence of the extension of the human lifespan over the centuries. It’s unforgiving, tragic, and— according to the American Cancer Society it is the second leading cause of death in the United States. With a cure, millions of lives would be saved, a myriad of families would not have to grieve, and the world would not have to face the silent destruction. A cure for cancer is a concept often talked about—joked about even because of how impossible it seems. But times are changing, technology is improving, and hope perseveres. Let the world face the elephant in the room, confront it, and work together towards a cancerfree future.