All Cancers, Great and Small – Technology Networks

In 2014, Croatian geneticist Dr. Tomislav Domazet-Loo and his colleagues at the University of Kiel in Germany published a paper describing tumors in two different species of tiny freshwater Hydra. Little more than a tube with tentacles, Hydra comprise three distinct groups of stem cells. One of these groups, known as interstitial stem cells, turned out to be the source of the cancers, which severely impacted growth and fertility. Its important to note that these tumors were entirely spontaneous: the researchers didnt use any techniques such as genetic modifications or treatment with chemical agents to induce them. But while Hydra may be the simplest organisms currently known to develop cancer, they are far from the only example outside our own species.Cancer has been found on virtually every branch of the tree of multicellular life, from the simplest to the most complex. Invasive cancer is medically defined by whether or not tumor cells have broken through the basement membrane that wraps around tissues and organs. Some types of organisms dont have this barrier layer yet can still be affected by cells multiplying out of control. For example, plants develop large growths known as galls that are usually the result of infection or parasitism. Tumor-like masses can be found in red algae and invasive growths have been spotted in mushrooms, while simple molds can start proliferating in abnormal ways that are similar to cancer.

Naked mole rat tissues make an unusually large and sticky version of hyaluronan, a kind of "cellular glue" that might reinforce contacts and communication between cells, preventing them from becoming cancerous. Cells from naked mole rats are also more resistant to stress and DNA damage than those from other small rodents, and are highly sensitive to contact inhibition, ceasing to proliferate if they become overcrowded.Other species have solved Petos paradox in their own way. For example, capybaras have particularly vigilant immune cells that seek out and destroy rogue cells before they can grow into a tumor. Elephants have evolved multiple copies of a gene encoding a molecule called p53 the so-called "Guardian of the Genome" which rapidly activates the apoptosis cell suicide pathway in damaged cells before they have the chance to become cancerous.Studying cancer in other species helps us to gain deeper insights into the vulnerabilities in our own human cells and how we might overcome them. We are now able to open natures toolbox, revealing the recipes and ingredients that have evolved over millions of years to produce different cancer defense mechanisms and modify risk.About the authorKat Arney is a writer, broadcaster and Creative Director of the life sciences communications agency First Create The Media. Her latest book, Rebel Cell: Cancer, evolution and the science of life (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) is out now.

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All Cancers, Great and Small - Technology Networks