From Lab to Life Can Geckos Help Us Cure Cancer?

From Lab to Life:  Can Geckos Help Us Cure Cancer

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Geckos are small, nocturnal lizards. They are known for their sounds, large eyes, and specialized toe pads that allow them to climb smooth surfaces. They are found in warm climates on every continent except Antarctica, they make up the most species-rich group of lizards, with nearly 2,000 different species!   They are widely known from the brilliant GEICO (insurance company) ads featuring (what else?) a …gecko with an upper-class British accent. Geico/gecko.

Now comes a Science Daily report from University of Nottingham about how geckos may help us defeat cancer. **   “An unusual leopard gecko that naturally develops aggressive tumors may become an important new model for cancer research. Scientists found its tumors share key genetic changes with human cancers, offering a rare opportunity to study the disease as it develops naturally.”

** University of Nottingham. “This pet gecko could help scientists unlock the secrets of cancer.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 July 2026. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/07/260714225525.htm>.  The study was led by Dr. Ylenia Chiari from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Nottingham.

There is a fascinating biology specialty called biomimetics (imitating biological processes in Nature for the benefit of humanity).  My Technion colleagues (Computer Science), e.g., use it to improve computer vision, by studying the superb visual skills of owls, pigeons, etc.  Their lab is an aviary!   Study of geckos has in the past yielded, for instance, a leap forward in drugs that produce weight loss (GLP-1 drugs),  when a clever scientist isolated this protein in a gecko, while trying to learn its secrets.  (See my earlier blog on this).

The report continues: “A colorful pet gecko that is unusually prone to developing cancer could become an important new tool for researchers studying how tumors form and spread. Scientists say the animal’s naturally occurring cancers may offer valuable insights into why some species are highly vulnerable to the disease while others are remarkably resistant.

“The research, led by the University of Nottingham and published in BMC Biology, identified genetic changes linked to tumors in a special variety of leopard gecko. Many of those changes involve the same genes and biological pathways associated with human cancers, raising the possibility that this reptile could help advance cancer research.”

Dr. Chiari said: “By studying why some animals are so susceptible to cancer while others are remarkably resistant, we hope to uncover the different ways species have evolved to deal with cancer. Specifically, this gecko could become an incredible model in cancer research because tumors appear naturally at a relatively early age. Together, these natural strategies could inspire new ways of preventing, detecting, and treating cancer in humans.”