Bats could hold important clues to beating cancer.
Bats could help cure cancer
A new study shows that rapid evolution in the animals could explain their ability to host and survive infections - as well as avoid cancer.
Experts writing for the Genome Biology and Evolution journal studied the Jamaican fruit bat and the Mesoamerican mustached bat and compared their genetic sequencing with a diverse collection of bats and other mammals.
The team found a number of genetic adaptations - including 46 that were cancer-related.
Dr. Armin Scheben, from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the US, said: "These investigations are the first step towards translating research on the unique biology of bats into insights relevant to treating diseases, such as cancer, in humans."