A pet gecko bred for its striking colour may end up helping cancer researchers.
Scientists led by the University of Nottingham say a white and yellow leopard gecko known in the pet trade as the “lemon frost” morph develops aggressive tumors in about 80 percent of individuals, making it a rare animal model for studying cancer as it forms and spreads naturally.
The research, published in BMC Biology, identified genetic changes linked to tumors in the gecko. The team said many of those changes involve the same genes and biological pathways associated with human cancers.
Among reptiles, cancer risk varies widely. Turtles and tortoises rarely develop the disease, but lemon frost leopard geckos are unusually prone to it.
The study was led by Dr. Ylenia Chiari from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Nottingham. The international team also included PhD researcher Brandon Hastings from the University of Nottingham, Dr. Scott Glaberman from the University of Birmingham, Dr. Tony Gamble from Marquette University, Dr. Robert Ossiboff from the University of Florida, and Virginia Gazziero and Dr. Giulio Caravagna from the University of Trieste.
Dr. Chiari said: “By studying why some animals are so susceptible to cancer while others are remarkably resistant, we hope to uncover the different ways species have evolved to deal with cancer. Specifically, this gecko could become an incredible model in cancer research because tumors appear naturally at a relatively early age. Together, these natural strategies could inspire new ways of preventing, detecting, and treating cancer in humans.”
The lemon frost morph came from a spontaneous genetic mutation that appeared during selective breeding in a large colony of leopard geckos. Breeders were drawn to its white and yellow coloration, but many of the animals later developed aggressive tumors that frequently spread to other parts of the body.
Unlike laboratory mice, which often require researchers to artificially trigger tumor growth, lemon frost geckos develop cancer naturally and at a relatively young age. The researchers said that gives scientists a chance to observe how cancer begins, evolves and spreads under natural conditions.
To study the disease, the team used whole genome sequencing to compare tumor samples with healthy tissue from the same geckos. They found a recurring set of genetic changes across the tumors.
The researchers said many of the altered genes and biological processes had already been linked to cancer in humans and other animals. They said that suggests studies of lemon frost geckos could offer insights beyond reptile biology and broaden the range of animal models used in medical research.
Brandon Hastings said: “Overall, our paper demonstrates the importance of looking across the tree of life in search of answers that are needed to better understand diseases that can have a profound impact on human life, such as cancer. Methodologically, it also highlights that the variety of genomic software programs developed to analyze human cancers can be adapted to provide meaningful insights in diverse organisms.”
Dr. Scott Glaberman of the University of Birmingham said the findings show the value of studying a wide range of species.
“We often look inward to solve human problems, but every species has something to teach us. By studying both animals that are vulnerable to cancer and those that resist it, we have far greater power to understand the disease itself. This is one of the many reasons why protecting biodiversity is so important.”
Read more from Science Daily.
