World Cancer Day, which is commemorated globally on 4 February, aims to raise attention and inspire action for a cancer-free future. According to Professor Jennifer Moodley, the director of the Cancer Research Initiative at the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), the burden of cancer is rising worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries like South Africa.
“The rising burden [of cancer] relates to the growing and ageing population, life circumstances and ways of living, and ongoing infections such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis,” said Professor Moodley.
UCT’s collective response to cancer is complex and multifaceted, bringing together experts from various fields. A few of them give insights below into how their work is contributing towards creating a cancer-free future.
Sea Anemones
Despite an evolutionary gap of 700 million years, a new study that was undertaken at the University of Haifa and published in the prestigious journal Nature Ecology and Evolution found that the GABA neurotransmitter, which plays a central role in brain development and function in mammals, fulfills similar roles in sea anemones.
âIn the study, we not only discovered that a receptor from the GABABR family controls the metamorphosis process in the sea anemone, but also that the molecular path is similar to that found in humans, and in both cases, it mediates nervous system functions. This similarity opens up new directions in the field of medicine, where the sea anemone can provide an accessible and simple model for analysis in the development of new medicines,” the researchers explained.
South Africa: Body Donor Programme Fit and Well Despite Covid-19 allafrica.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from allafrica.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.