WEIRD STUFF: Scientists to use elephant testicles in cancer fight

Scientists to use elephant testicles in cancer fight

Hot elephant testicles could hold the secret to a cure for cancer.

Elephants are known for their strong resistance to the disease, and scientists believe that this is the case because their testicles do not drop.

Researchers think that the mammals developed anti-cancer genes to safeguard their temperature-sensitive sperm production.

Elephants have 20 copies of the TP53 gene and the p53 protein that it creates to suppress cancer by helping to repair damaged DNA and to get rid of cells that cannot be repaired.

It is hoped that the new discovery will lead to further research into the cellular response to DNA damage in humans.

Professor Fritz Vollrath, a biologist at the University of Oxford who carried out the research, said: "Elephants provide us with a unique system to study the evolution of a robust defence mechanism against DNA damage in our battle against cancer and ailments like ageing."

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Drinking red wine could improve sex life -- Researchers

A review of a variety of studies has concluded that men who drink one or two glasses of red wine per day have a lower risk of erectile dysfunction, and women who do so enjoy a higher libido.

The experts say that plant compounds in the drink improve blood flow, increase testosterone, and stimulate the sexual organs.

They highlight polyphenols -- a compound also found in apples, onions and dark chocolate -- as the key factor behind the sex-boosting effects of red wine.

The researchers wrote in the review published in the Journal for Clinical Medicine: "The evidence so far collected has shown that red wine, if consumed in moderation, can be potentially beneficial for patients with erectile dysfunction.

"It can be concluded that the antioxidant properties of polyphenols present in red wine appear to be beneficial for the reproductive system."

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