The supermice that resist cancer

Scientists have bred a family of "supermice" that are highly resistant to cancer.

The mice have three instead of two copies of genes that keep cell division in check.

It might be possible in the future to make a drug for humans that would confer the same protection against cancer, the Spanish scientists hope.

The team at the Spanish National Cancer Centre in Madrid report their findings in Genes and Development.

Super resistant

Cell growth and division is normally kept under control by a group of gatekeeper genes called tumour suppressors.

In cancer, cells grow out of control and invade, erode and destroy normal tissue.

Dr Manuel Serrano used DNA technology to breed mice that had an extra copy of part of the tumour suppressor genes called Ink4a/ARF locus.

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The scientists are also trying to understand how sharks deal with cancer, because they are the only animals, as far as I know, that get cancer but the cancer never spreads through the body.

I heard about a cat that had cancer. He was seen eating from a poisonous plant (picture below). The cat apparently knew somehow which parts of the plant he should eat and the exact amount to get the amount of poison needed to kill the cancer and not him/her. The cat cured itself.
I�ve also heard that they�re now doing researching on this plant to figure out if or how they could use it. I don�t know the english or latin name but you might recognize it from the picture. I wouldn�t recommend eating it as it is poisonous...