Australian and Austrian researchers are reporting that kangaroos may provide skin cancer cure. Understanding how kangaroos repair their DNA may be key in preventing skin cancer. Read about it below.

Dr. Linda Feketeova and Dr. Uta Wille are from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology at the University of Melbourne in Australia. They, along with scientists from the University of Innsbruck in Austria, are leading research into how kangaroos and other organisms repair DNA, particularly as it relates to skin cancer in humans. There is a DNA repair enzyme in kangaroos as well as well as other organisms that is not found in humans. This DNA repairing enzyme has been found to be very effective in healing damage linked to most skin cancers.

Summer is approaching in the land down-under and with it’s approach there are increased concerns about over-exposure to the sun’s harmful UV light. Feketeova says that more than 400,000 Australians will likely be diagnosed with skin cancer.

“Other research teams have proposed a “dream cream” containing the DNA repair enzyme which you could slap on your skin after a day in the sun. We are now examining whether this would be feasible.”

The study is being published in an upcoming issue of Chemical Communications. The researchers are using a laboratory to replicate a kangaroo’s skin exposure to ultraviolet light. They are analyzing how DNA repair enzymes work. This work has resulted in all sorts of chemical by-products that have never been seen before. Feketeova warns that we shouldn’t get too excited as of yet. There is a lot of testing to be done before a skin cancer ‘dream cream’ will be available. She warns to continue using sunscreen.

Over two-thirds of melanoma cases are caused by over exposure to the suns. Skin cells are damaged by sunburn and the cells become genetically mutated. Since humans don’t possess the capability of repairing DNA this type of skin cancer is particularly difficult to treat. These studies provide hope that kangaroos may provide a skin cancer cure.