Turtles 'may hold key to preventing cancer'

TURTLES could hold the key to new cancer treatments after research found they are highly resistant to tumours.

- By Jaymi McCann

Experts claim the reptiles may possess natural defences that protect against the disease.

The analysis revealed that just 1% of turtles are affected by it, a much lower figure than in mammals or birds.

The study, which was led by scientists from the University of Nottingham and University of Birmingham, looked at the medical records and necropsies of hundreds of zoo turtles, including some of those kept at Chester. The findings revealed few cancer cases, and when tumours appeared they were unlikely to spread.