Blind Mice Through Collective Cell Death Cancer Immune

Collectively programmed cell death protects the blind from cancer

06.11.2012

Blind mice are apparently inherently immune to cancer. An international team of researchers led by Vera Gorbunova from the Department of Biology at the University of Rochester, New York, has now discovered how subterranean blind mice protect themselves from the development of cancer. Their findings could help to significantly improve cancer therapy in the future, the scientists report in the journal „Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences“ (PNAS).

It has been known for a long time that blind mice (Spalax) are virtually immune to cancer. „Among thousands of blind mice held in the lab, there was not a single case of tumor in 40 years“, while in closely related mice up to 90 percent of laboratory animals die from cancer, Gorbunova and colleagues emphasize. In the case of the blind mice, in the case of uncontrolled cell growth, the signal substance beta-interferon is released, which causes the programmed collective cell death. In this way, no tumor could develop in the organism of the dummy mice. In their studies, the discovered mechanism has eliminated entire cell cultures within a very short time, the researchers write in the journal „PNAS“.

Signaling causes collective cell death in uncontrolled growth
To understand the mechanism responsible for the increased cancer resistance of the dummy mice, „we studied the growth of fibroblasts of the species Spalax judaei (Judean mountain blind mouse) and Spalax Golani (Golan Heights blind mouse)“, Vera Gorbunova and colleagues report. The researchers extracted the fibroblasts (special connective tissue cells) from the lungs and skin of the blind mice and observed the growth of cell cultures in nutrient media under the influence of growth-promoting substances. The connective tissue cells of the dummy mice initially showed massive growth with seven to 20 population doublings before the cells began to release the signaling substance beta-interferon, resulting in the necrotic cell death of the culture within three days, the researchers report. For years, researchers have been cultivating connective tissue cells from 20 different rodent species, „but have such a synchronous death of cell cultures“ according to their own statements „never seen before.“

Natural protection against cancer
For the first time, this clearly demonstrates why the blind mice have such immunity to cancer. By the release of interferon in uncontrolled cell growth of the programmed cell death in the form of apoptosis is brought about. The effect could also be observed when interferon was added to young, still growing cultures of fibroblasts. „The knowledge of such natural anti-cancer mechanisms could help to develop new therapies also for human cancers“, This is the conclusion of researchers at the University of Rocherster, the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo (USA) and the University of Haifa (Israel). A specific gene in the circuit, which is crucial for apoptosis in mammals, induces programmed cell death in the blind mice in the event of excessive, unrestrained cell growth.

Blind mice with unique characteristics
The approximately rat-sized blind mice are in many ways particularly adapted to their underground lifestyle. The animals use their disproportionately large incisors to dig the tunnels and structures underground. Skin grows over their eyes as they are not needed for life underground. Even in extremely low-oxygen air, the blind mice can still survive. In addition, the blind mice are compared to other rodents with a life of up to 21 years extremely durable, write Gorbunova and colleagues. For example, ordinary rats only reach an age of about four years. The uniqueness of the blind mice, however, is largely determined in the eyes of scientists by their resistance to cancer. However, it remains unclear why these subterranean animals developed such an efficient protection against uncontrolled cell proliferation or tumor in the course of evolution. (Fp)

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Picture: Gerd Altmann, Pixelio