Bat genes could help create better treatments for cancer and Covid, researchers say

Bat genes could create improved treatments against cancer and viruses such as Covid-19, researchers have said. 

Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York looked at how bats' immune systems are able to fight illnesses that can wreak havoc on humans. The researchers focused on the Jamaican fruit bat and Mesoamerican moustached bat. After sequencing the genomes of both species they found that rapid evolution allowed them to defend against viruses and cancer. 

These two species, compared to other bats and humans, could shed genes that produce proteins called interferons - which act as an alarm for the immune system, alerting it to dangerous cells and triggering natural defences. 

The study also discovered that compared to other mammals, bat genomes had more changes in cancer-related genes, including six that repair DNA and dozens more that suppress tumours. The peer-reviewed research has been published in the Genome Biology and Evolution journal.

Researcher Armin Scheben said: "It prevents overactive immune responses that harm healthy tissue - one of the reasons infections are so damaging to humans."

Mr Scheben added: "Our work highlights how immunity and cancer response are deeply interconnected. The same immune genes and proteins play important roles in cancer resistance."

Researchers are now exploring how bats regulate their immune genes, and whether the findings could help create better cancer and virus treatments for humans.