Chernobyl's mutated wolves develop cancer-resistant abilities, study finds
It's been close to forty years since the Chernobyl disaster and the ensuing depopulation. The Exclusion Zone surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant now serves as a Radiation-Ecological Reserve. Interestingly, this area is also home to a population of wolves that have sparked interest due to recent research findings.
The "New York Post" reported that the mutated wolves inhabiting the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone have shown signs of cancer resistance.
The research indicates that the mutated wolves navigating the human-free exclusion zone have developed cancer-resistant genomes. This advancement could potentially aid humans in their battle against the deadly disease.
Wild animals have managed to adapt and thrive amidst the high levels of radiation that have ravaged the area after the catastrophic reactor explosion at the Chornobyl Power Plant in 1986 -- the worst nuclear disaster in history.
People evacuated the region when the explosion spewed carcinogenic radiation into the environment, leading to the fencing off of an area of approximately 1593 square kilometers to minimize further exposure to humans.
However, almost 38 years post-disaster, nature has recovered and reclaimed the area, including packs of wolves that seem impervious to the constant exposure to radiation.
Thorough research on Chernobyl's wolves
Cara Love, an evolutionary biologist and ecotoxicologist, investigated how the mutated wolves evolved to withstand a radioactive environment. She divulged her findings at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual meeting in Seattle.
In 2014, Love and her team ventured into the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone and tagged wild wolves with GPS collars equipped with radiation dosimeters. They also collected blood samples from the animals to gauge their body's reaction to carcinogenic radiation.
Love affirms that using the specialized collars enables researchers to monitor the wolves' movements and their radiation exposure in real-time.
The wolves are exposed to radiation of approximately 0.114 millisievert daily, over six times the legal safety level for human exposure.
Remarkably, scientists found the immune system of Chornobyl's wolves to vary from that of ordinary wolves - mirroring patients receiving radiotherapy for cancer. Love identified areas of the wolf genome that seem resilient to increased cancer risk.
