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. 2024 Jun 1;14(3):309-314.
doi: 10.31661/jbpe.v0i0.2402-1729. eCollection 2024 Jun.

A Reexamination of Peto's Paradox: Insights Gained from Human Adaptation to Varied Levels of Ionizing and Non-ionizing Radiation

Seyed Mohammad Javad Mortazavi  1 , Omid Zare  2 , Leyla Ghasemi  2 , Parmis Taghizadeh  3 , Parsa Faghani  2 , Maryam Arshadi  2 , Seyed Ali Reza Mortazavi  4 , Lembit Sihver  5   6   7
Affiliations

A Reexamination of Peto's Paradox: Insights Gained from Human Adaptation to Varied Levels of Ionizing and Non-ionizing Radiation

Seyed Mohammad Javad Mortazavi et al. J Biomed Phys Eng. .

Abstract

Humans have generally evolved some adaptations to protect against UV and different levels of background ionizing radiation. Similarly, elephants and whales have evolved adaptations to protect against cancer, such as multiple copies of the tumor suppressor gene p53, due to their large size and long lifespan. The difference in cancer protection strategies between humans and elephants/whales depends on genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and evolutionary pressures. In this paper, we discuss how the differences in evolutionary adaptations between humans and elephants could explain why elephants have evolved a protective mechanism against cancer, whereas humans have not. Humans living in regions with high levels of background radiation, e.g. in Ramsar, Iran where exposure rates exceed those on the surface of Mars, seem to have developed some kind of protection against the ionizing radiation. However, humans in general have not developed cancer-fighting adaptations, so they instead rely on medical technologies and interventions. The difference in cancer protection strategies between humans and elephants/whales depends on genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and evolutionary pressures. In this paper, we discuss how the differences in evolutionary adaptations between humans and elephants could explain why elephants have evolved a protective mechanism against cancer, whereas humans have not. Studying elephant adaptations may provide insights into new cancer prevention and treatment strategies for humans, but further research is required to fully understand the evolutionary disparities.

Keywords: Biological Evolution; Carcinogenesis; Peto’s Paradox, Evolution; Radiation; Radiobiology.

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Conflict of interest statement

SMJ. Mortazavi and L. Sihver, as the Editorial Board Members, were not involved in the peer-review and decision-making processes for this manuscript.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Variations of cancer incidence in men and their average height in European countries.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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