• Hero Banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Buying or Selling a Practice
Hospital Design
Leadership & Personal Growth
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Technology
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Live Conferences
Conference News
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Might Elephants Be the Key to Curing Cancer?

March 29, 2017
Kerry Lengyel

Elephants rarely get cancer due to a large amount of the p53 protein in their system, and this protein could be the answer that humans have been seeking for decades.

Theoretically, the more cells an organism has, the more likely that organism is to develop cancer. It stands to reason, then, that elephants would get cancer much more frequently than many other animals, including humans.

But that is not the case at all. Elephants, in fact, rarely get cancer.

Despite their huge size—they are almost 100 times larger than humans with 100 times as many cells in their bodies—the mortality rate for elephants with cancer is well under 5%. In humans, cancer-related mortality hovers around 20%.

Scientists now understand why, and it has everything to do with genes—specifically, the TP53 gene. TP53 codes for the protein P53, which prevents cancer formation in multicellular organisms by stopping cells with damaged DNA from dividing.

Elephants have 40 copies the of TP53 gene. Humans have just 2 copies, and those can undergo mutation relatively easily. (Studies have shown that TP53 is nonfunctional in more than 50% of human cancers.)

Advertisement

Pediatric oncologist Joshua Schiffman, MD, from the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah, believes that the significantly higher number of TP53 genes in elephants may ultimately lead to a cure for some cancers in animals and humans.

Dr. Schiffman and his team, which now includes Avi Schroeder, an assistant chemical engineering professor at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, have developed a synthetic form of the P53 protein modeled after the elephant form (known as eP53).

When they introduced this synthetic P53 into human cancer cells in the laboratory, the cancer cells were annihilated.

“What we found is that the cancer cells are all dying very quickly when they’re exposed to this elephant cancer protein,” said Dr. Schiffman, adding that the finding “was probably one of the most thrilling experiences I’ve ever had in my career.”

The next step is to begin preclinical testing in mice and dogs. To do so, the investigators must manufacture p53 in nanoparticles that are about 1/1000th smaller than the width of human hair—small enough to allow the protein to penetrate cancerous cells. They also need to raise a few million dollars to pay for all the required trials and testing—something Dr. Schiffman believes can be accomplished in just 3 years.

Success in preclinical trials in animals with cancer may lead to a drug released for veterinary use.

“We have great interest from people who have dogs and pets at home with cancer,” Schroeder says. After these preliminary trials in animals, human testing would be the team’s next step.

Dr. Schiffman, who himself was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma at age 15, said he believes that elephant p53 can have a major impact on human cancer cells. While he hasn’t found a cure for cancer with the protein just yet, Dr. Schiffman said, “I’m on a quest to get rid of cancer. I think we’re on the way and I think the elephants are going to lead us there.”


Advertisement

Latest News

This week on dvm360.com: dvm360® continues to celebrate Pride Month, and other veterinary news

3 must-sees on creating an inclusive work culture

CityVet names new chief strategy officer

Workplace bottlenecks in the LGBTQIA+ community

View More Latest News
Advertisement