Scott Glaberman, Stephanie E Bulls, Laura Platner, Philipp Wagner, Saskia Dreyer, Stephanie McCain, Silvia Burgstaller, Leyla R Davis, Heléna Turner, Linda G R Bruins-van Sonsbeek, Dominik Fischer, Ylenia Chiari
{"title":"Do turtles get cancer?","authors":"Scott Glaberman, Stephanie E Bulls, Laura Platner, Philipp Wagner, Saskia Dreyer, Stephanie McCain, Silvia Burgstaller, Leyla R Davis, Heléna Turner, Linda G R Bruins-van Sonsbeek, Dominik Fischer, Ylenia Chiari","doi":"10.1093/biosci/biaf100","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Turtles are renowned for their extreme longevity and tremendous range in body size. Theoretically, large, long-lived organisms should face higher cancer risks because of increased cell numbers and lifetime cellular turnover, yet cancer appears to be exceptionally rare in turtles. In the present article, we synthesize the current knowledge on cancer prevalence in turtles, drawing from zoo necropsies, pathology reports, and comparative oncology studies, and present new data spanning additional species that reinforce this pattern. Emerging molecular evidence suggests that turtles possess high resistance to oxidative stress and protein dysregulation, which may contribute to cancer resistance. Given their extreme lifespans and unique physiology, turtles represent a promising but underexplored model for studying the evolution of longevity and natural cancer suppression mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":9003,"journal":{"name":"BioScience","volume":"75 9","pages":"699-705"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12412297/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"BioScience","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf100","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/9/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Turtles are renowned for their extreme longevity and tremendous range in body size. Theoretically, large, long-lived organisms should face higher cancer risks because of increased cell numbers and lifetime cellular turnover, yet cancer appears to be exceptionally rare in turtles. In the present article, we synthesize the current knowledge on cancer prevalence in turtles, drawing from zoo necropsies, pathology reports, and comparative oncology studies, and present new data spanning additional species that reinforce this pattern. Emerging molecular evidence suggests that turtles possess high resistance to oxidative stress and protein dysregulation, which may contribute to cancer resistance. Given their extreme lifespans and unique physiology, turtles represent a promising but underexplored model for studying the evolution of longevity and natural cancer suppression mechanisms.
期刊介绍：
BioScience is a monthly journal that has been in publication since 1964. It provides readers with authoritative and current overviews of biological research. The journal is peer-reviewed and heavily cited, making it a reliable source for researchers, educators, and students. In addition to research articles, BioScience also covers topics such as biology education, public policy, history, and the fundamental principles of the biological sciences. This makes the content accessible to a wide range of readers. The journal includes professionally written feature articles that explore the latest advancements in biology. It also features discussions on professional issues, book reviews, news about the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), and columns on policy (Washington Watch) and education (Eye on Education).
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
