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Dinosaurs could hold key to cancer discoveries: Study highlights importance of preserving fossilized soft tissues

New techniques used to analyze soft tissue in dinosaur fossils may hold the key to new cancer discoveries, according to a published in the journal Biology.

Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and Imperial College London analyzed dinosaur fossils using advanced paleoproteomic techniques, a method that holds promise for uncovering molecular data from ancient specimens.

The researchers discovered red blood cell-like structures in a fossil while studying a Telmatosaurus transsylvanicus, a duck-billed, plant-eating "marsh lizard" that lived between 66–70 million years ago in the Hateg Basin in present-day Romania.

The new study used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques to identify low-density structures resembling erythrocytes, or red blood cells, in the fossilized bone.

The findings raise the possibility that soft tissue and cellular components are more commonly preserved in ancient remains than previously thought.

By identifying preserved proteins and biomarkers, scientists believe they can gain insights into the diseases that affected prehistoric creatures, including cancer, potentially influencing future treatments for humans.

The authors of the new study highlight the necessity of prioritizing the collection and preservation of fossilized soft tissue, rather than just dinosaur skeletons, as future advancements in molecular techniques will enable deeper insights into disease evolution.

A separate study had previously identified evidence of cancer in Telmatosaurus transsylvanicus, indicating its deep evolutionary roots.

"Dinosaurs, as long-lived, large-bodied organisms, present a compelling case for investigating how species managed cancer susceptibility and resistance over millions of years.

"Proteins, particularly those found in calcified tissues like bone, are more stable than DNA and are less susceptible to degradation and contamination. This makes them ideal candidates for studying ancient diseases, including cancer, in paleontological specimens.

"Unlike skeletal structures alone, soft tissues contain proteins that provide molecular information that can reveal the underlying biological mechanisms of disease.

"Our research, using relatively underused methods, invites further exploration that could hold the key to future discoveries that could benefit humans. However, it is crucial that long-term fossil conservation efforts are co-ordinated to ensure that future researchers have access to specimens suitable for cutting-edge molecular investigations," says senior author Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University.