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Tadpoles offer skin cancer hope
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by LotusFlower | January 30, 2009 at 11:41 am
313 views | 26 Recommendations | 11 comments
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Frogs and toads have in folklore been associated with causing skin problems such as warts and moles in humans but now they could be the key to a cure for skin cancer.
Skin cancer is associated with the uncontrolled growth and movement of pigment cells and new research has thrown up a man made chemical which stops the movement of such cells in tadpoles.
This offers hope for new treatments to be developed for skin cancer in humans.
Tadpoles could hold the key to developing effective skin cancer drugs according to researchers at the University of East Anglia.
The scientists have identified a compound which blocks the movement of the pigment cells that give the tadpoles their distinctive markings.
It is the uncontrolled movement of pigment cells that causes skin cancer in both humans and frogs.
The next step, the researchers say, is to test the compound in other animals.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (11)
at 13:00 on January 30th, 2009
Kobus101 has contributed a photo to this story.
at 18:14 on January 30th, 2009
Interesting, I've not saw this.
at 01:33 on January 31st, 2009
Picture was taken in Suriname.
SweetSteffie has contributed a photo to this story.
at 11:28 on January 31st, 2009
Thanks so much for the wonderful news. I only hope it produces results.
at 15:03 on January 31st, 2009
How ironic, from warts to treatment of skin cancer. Who would have thought?
at 18:07 on January 31st, 2009
Strange but interesting.
I hope it works.
at 20:58 on January 31st, 2009
Exciting possibilities.
at 11:51 on February 1st, 2009
Taken Summer 2008 In Garden.
Mat Duff has contributed a photo to this story.
at 19:34 on February 2nd, 2009
Scaphiopus couchii, aka couch's spadefoot toad.
robberflies has contributed a photo to this story.
at 09:50 on February 4th, 2009
science is so awesome! who would have thought, tadpoles? well, this is similar to the news about medicinal use of leeches. it just goes to show that we need everything this earth provides, so we should all take an interest in protecting it!!
at 09:23 on March 2nd, 2009
This picture was taken in the Spring of 2008 where a mountain lake used for one of the local water utilities overflows into a shallow catch pan and then flows downstream. The water is exceptionally clear and clean in the lake and the stream as there is no land development upstream from this site. The stream which feeds the lake is fed by many mountain springs over about ten miles.
frmichaeldoty has contributed a photo to this story.