Scientists have discovered a 60-million-year-old fossilized dinosaur tail that shows that the prehistoric reptiles suffered from a painful Cancer that troubles humans to date. Cavities in the tailbone of the hadrosaur had been formed by tumor growth of ‘Langerhans cell histiocytosis‘, or LCH. The complete findings of the study led by biologist Hila May of the Tel Aviv University were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Crux of the Matter
The Killer Cells LCH is a rare type of cancer that originates in special cells that help to fight off infections. The cells end up growing and multiplying too quickly and they can form lesions and damage tissues across the body, with symptoms varying based on its location. The condition is rare among humans, but is more common in children between the age of 5–10 and is reported to affect around 50 kids in the UK each year. These tumors may disappear without intervention in some fortunate cases and linger for a lifetime in other unlucky ones.
Behind the Findings To investigate the tumor-made cavities in the dinosaur tail bones, the fossils were sent for micro-CT scanning at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History. The imaging produced is high-resolution up to a few microns. Then the dinosaur vertebrae were scanned and created a computerized three-dimensional reconstruction of the tumor and the blood vessels that fed it. The micro and macro analyses confirmed that it was LCH.
Researcher’s Take on it Tel Aviv University anthropologist, Hershkovitz says, ‘We are trying to understand why certain diseases survive evolution, with an eye to deciphering what causes them in order to develop new and effective ways of treating them.’ He further explained how Evolutionary medicine is a relatively new field of research that investigates the development and behaviour of diseases over time.
How a secret buried in a dinosaur's tail for 60 million years may help heal sick kids today. Read about this TAU discovery published in @SciReports with @IndianaUniv @UZH_en @RoyalTyrrell here: https://t.co/QznKaKvGo2 pic.twitter.com/DePIja4UOE — Tel Aviv University (@TelAvivUni) February 17, 2020
Curiopedia
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bleeding, prolonged cough, unexplained weight loss, and a change in bowel movements. While these symptoms may indicate cancer, they can also have other causes. Over 100 types of cancers affect humans.
Tobacco use is the cause of about 22% of cancer deaths. Another 10% are due to obesity, poor diet, lack of physical activity or excessive drinking of alcohol. Other factors include certain infections, exposure to ionizing radiation and environmental pollutants. Cancer can be detected by certain signs and symptoms or screening tests. It is then typically further investigated by medical imaging and confirmed by biopsy. More Info
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