木乃伊包含了结肠癌的线索

Mummies Contain Clues to Colon¹ Cancer 木乃伊包含了结肠癌的线索

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health and Lifestyle report.

Colon cancer is linked with obesity², lack of exercise, and a poor diet high in processed foods.

However, scientists also have identified genetic⁴ mutations connected to the disease.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University are studying the evolutionary⁶ history of colon cancer. Microbiologist Rina Arbesfeld is with the university. She wanted to answer this genetic question: Where do these mutations come from? Our lifestyle? The environment? Our diet? Or did these mutations also exist a long time ago?

In other words, is the increase in the number of cancer cases today the result of natural evolution alone?

To answer this question, Arbesfeld turned to an unusual source: Hungarian mummies that were discovered in 1994 in a church.

These preserved bodies rested in a cool, dry climate for more than two and half centuries. They give a rare opportunities to research biologists.

An embalmer⁸ is a person who prepares a body for burial.  Hungarian embalmers used different techniques than Egyptian embalmers.

In ancient Egypt, embalmers removed fluids and internal organs. This made mummification of the bodies happen quickly, over a period of two or three months.

Hungarians embalmers mummified more slowly. They left the fluids and organs intact. This means the mummies have retained tissue that could be better analyzed⁹ for evidence of disease.  

Arbesfeld and her team isolated¹⁰ DNA¹¹ samples from 22 mummies. They then sequenced the genetic material in the hunt for mutations. This was not easy. Arbesfeld says that after many tries, her team found one specific mutation⁵ in a gene³ called APC.

This gene is important. The APC gene is known to be involved in the development of cancer. Arbesfeld explains that the APC gene is what she calls the “gatekeeper” for the development of cancer.

This information lead Arbesfeld to this hypothesis: If our ancestors with the genetic mutation for colon cancer lived long enough, they would have developed the disease, just like us.

Arbesfeld says her next step is to sequence samples from other sources for a larger follow-up study. She says understanding our genetic past can better explain the present.

And understanding a disease’s genetic past can help to handle the disease’s future.

Cancer of the color kills about 700,000 people a year worldwide. However, it is highly treatable when found early.

This study was published in the journal PloS ONE.

Words in This Story

mummy – n. a body treated for burial with chemical preservatives¹², as was done in ancient Egypt

mummified – v. to help protect (a dead body) by treating it with oils and covering it in strips of cloth

evolution – n. a theory that the differences in living things resulted from natural changes over a very long time

embalm⁷ – v. to treat (a dead body) with special chemicals to keep it from breaking down; embalmer – n. one who embalms¹³

genetic mutations – n. A gene mutation is a permanent change in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene

genome sequencing – n. Genome sequencing is figuring out the order of DNA nucleotides, or bases, in a genome—the order of As, Cs, Gs, and Ts that make up an organism's DNA. The human genome is made up of over 3 billion of these genetic letters

hypothesis – n. an idea or theory that is not proven but that leads to further study or discussion

1 colon   

n.冒号，结肠，直肠

参考例句：

• Here,too,the colon must be followed by a dash.这里也是一样，应当在冒号后加破折号。
• The colon is the locus of a large concentration of bacteria.结肠是大浓度的细菌所在地。

2 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

3 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

4 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

5 mutation   

n.变化，变异，转变

参考例句：

• People who have this mutation need less sleep than others.有这种突变的人需要的睡眠比其他人少。
• So far the discussion has centered entirely around mutation in the strict sense.到目前为止，严格来讲，讨论完全集中于围绕突变问题上。

6 evolutionary   

adj.进化的；演化的，演变的；[生]进化论的

参考例句：

• Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。
• These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。

7 embalm   

v.保存（尸体）不腐

参考例句：

• The Egyptians used to embalm the bodies of their dead kings and queens.埃及人以前用药物保存国王和王后的尸体。
• His body was embalmed.他的尸体进行了防腐处理。

8 embalmer   

尸体防腐者

参考例句：

9 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

11 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

12 preservatives   

n.防腐剂( preservative的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The juice contains no artificial preservatives. 这种果汁不含人工防腐剂。
• Meat spoils more quickly without preservatives. 不加防腐剂，肉会坏得快。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

13 embalms   

n.保存（尸体）不腐( embalm的名词复数 )；使不被遗忘；使充满香气v.保存（尸体）不腐( embalm的第三人称单数 )；使不被遗忘；使充满香气

参考例句：

• Spring embalms the woods and fields. 春天使森林和田野吐露芬芳。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》