Researchers at the University of Nottingham have identified a color variety of leopard gecko as a promising animal model for cancer research. The lemon frost gecko, a white-and-yellow morph that emerged from a spontaneous genetic mutation during selective breeding, develops aggressive tumors in 80% of individuals. This unusually high cancer susceptibility, detailed in a study published in BMC Biology, offers scientists rare insights into how cancer develops and spreads naturally.
Unlike traditional laboratory models such as mice, which typically require tumors to be induced artificially, lemon frost geckos develop tumors naturally and relatively early in life, often with metastasis. This provides a unique opportunity to study cancer as it arises and evolves in a living organism. Ylenia Chiari, who led the research, explained the significance: “By studying why some animals are so susceptible to cancer while others are remarkably resistant, we hope to uncover the different ways species have evolved to deal with cancer. Specifically, this gecko could become an incredible model in cancer research because tumors appear naturally at a relatively early age.”
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The research team used whole-genome sequencing to compare tumor tissue with healthy tissue from the same geckos. They discovered a series of genomic changes that repeatedly occurred in tumors. Many of the affected genes and biological processes are known to play important roles in cancer in other organisms, including humans.
The findings highlight why studying animals with naturally high cancer rates matters. While some reptiles, such as turtles and tortoises, rarely develop cancer, the lemon frost gecko’s genetic vulnerability could reveal strategies for understanding human cancers. First author Brandon Hastings noted: “Our paper demonstrates the importance of looking across the tree of life in search of answers that are needed to better understand diseases that can have a profound impact on human life, such as cancer.”