[ExI] Galapagos tortoise genome reveals secrets to long, cancer-free lives

[BillK]

Live long and prosper: Study examines genetic gems in Galápagos giant
tortoise genomes
These big turtles have extra copies of genes that may help them age
well and evade cancer, and the creatures’ cells respond to stress in
ways that may help to prevent disease, scientists conclude.

By Charlotte Hsu   Release Date: November 18, 2021

<https://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2021/11/019.html>

Quotes:
Galápagos giant tortoises can weigh well over 300 pounds and often
live over 100 years. So what’s the secret to their evolutionary
success?
A new study concludes that compared with other turtles, these animals
evolved to have extra copies of genes — called duplications — that may
protect against the ravages of aging, including cancer.

Specifically, experiments showed that the creatures’ cells are super
sensitive to certain types of stress relating to damaged proteins.
When exposed to these pressures, the cells self-destruct much more
readily than other turtle cells through a process called apoptosis,
the research found.

“In the lab, we can stress the cells out in ways that are associated
with aging and see how well they resist that distress. And it turns
out that the Galápagos tortoise cells are really, really good at
killing themselves before that stress has a chance to cause diseases
like cancer,” says Lynch, PhD, associate professor of biological
sciences in the UB College of Arts and Sciences.
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Apoptosos - is a form of programmed cell death that occurs in
multicellular organisms.
That sounds like a useful technique to extend healthy lifetime. Store
a copy of healthy cells and when cells show signs of damage due to
aging, replace the damaged cells with copies of the original healthy
cells.
Easier said than done, of course. But in the future.........

BillK