Scientists have determined the origin of leukemia
An international team of geneticists has identified the origin of leukemia. A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy, briefly about it Monday, March 13, reports The Telegraph.
Scientists have shown that the disease appeared about 20 to 45 million years ago. Then it met at the ordinary long-winged — bats, currently under threat of extinction.
Fossilized animal remains have been found traces of deltaretrovirus. It is believed that they were in the blood of animals and caused disease similar to leukemia.
Leukemia — a cancer in which bone marrow cells mutate, not developing into normal Mature white blood cells and become cancer cells. From other types of cancer it is different in that it does not form tumors in any one place.
Annually in the world the virus HTLV-1 (Human T-lymphotropic virus), which causes malignant tumors of the lymphoid and hematopoietic tissues, affects 15 to 20 million people.