How to minimize formation and growth of tumours: Potential benefits of decapod crustaceans for cancer research

Abstract

Tumours have only rarely been observed in the decapod crustaceans, a large animal group of more than 10,000 species that includes the commercially important and well investigated shrimp, lobsters, crayfish and crabs. Analysis of the literature and information from cancer and diseases data bases revealed a total of 15 incidences, some of them being questionable. Even in the long-lived species, which can reach life spans of almost 100 years, neoplasias are virtually unknown. The data published so far suggest that the strikingly different frequencies of carcinogenesis between decapods and other well investigated animal groups like mammals, fish, insects and molluscs is based on differences of the metabolic pathways for carcinogens, the immune systems, and the regulation of stem cells. Therefore, representatives of the Decapoda may serve as useful models to study how organisms can successfully prevent or control spontaneously and environmentally induced cell proliferation. A particularly promising candidate for in-depth investigation of these topics is the marbled crayfish, a rather new clonal lineage that is presently being introduced as a laboratory model in development and epigenetics. ' 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Key words: neoplasia; Decapoda; Crustacea; stem cells; detoxification of carcinogens; age-related cancer; immune system; epigenetics; marbled crayfishThe decapod crustaceans are conspicuous and abundant marine and freshwater invertebrates comprising more than 10,000 species. They are a phylogenetically old taxon dating back to the late Devonian ( 360 million years). 1 The Decapoda provide keystone species in numerous aquatic habitats and are intensely exploited for human consumption. The total global production of shrimp, lobsters, crabs, sea-spiders, spiny-rock lobsters and freshwater crayfish by fisheries and aquaculture amounted to 9.3 million tons in 2005, corresponding to a value of more than US$20 billion. 2 Due to their ecological and economical importance and their traditional use as experimental animals in various biological disciplines, 3 the Decapoda are amongst the best investigated invertebrates.Despite the good data base on the biology of the decapod crustaceans there are only very few reports on neoplasias. This scarcity of reports apparently reflects a low incidence of tumours in the Decapoda compared to other well investigated animal groups rather than low research efforts in this direction. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10] In the framework of environmental monitoring, aquaculture biosecurity programmes and seafood quality controls wild and cultured populations of decapod species are regularly investigated for their health status and diseases. [11][12][13] As a result of these surveys and additional routine checks of aquarium and laboratory populations almost 200 different diseases have been described in the decapod crustaceans, [14][15][16][17][18][19][20] which is in sharp contrast to the small number of tumour incidences published.This review starts with a summary of the literature on spontaneous a...

Suitability of the clonal marbled crayfish for biogerontological research: a review and perspective, with remarks on some further crustaceans

“…Since the dynamics of tissues of crayfish and shrimps under normal and pathological conditions was at the centre of my research for more than 20 years (see references in Vogt , 2002Vogt , 2008aGherardi et al 2010), this requirement for examining age-related tissular alteration in the marbled crayfish was fulfilled. Light and structures.…”

“…Decapods have maximum adult sizes of 1 cm to 4 m and life spans between 1 and 100 years (Martin and Davis 2001). Most of them are characterized by indeterminate growth (Hartnoll 1982), high regeneration capacity (Hopkins et al 1999) and pronounced resistance to tumour formation (Vogt 2008a). Indeterminate growth refers to growth that continues in the adult life period in contrast to determinate growth that stops once a genetically predetermined final stage has formed.…”

Establishment of Shrimp Cell Lines: Perception and Orientation

“…This might be due to the lack of information on the molecular mechanisms that inhibit neoplastic transformations in shrimp. Besides, tumours have only rarely been observed in the decapod crustaceans [87]. Therefore, a thread bear analysis on the very successful history of insect and mammalian cell line development might open up new vistas for focused research towards establishment of shrimp cell lines.…”

“Crustacea”: Decapoda – Astacida

“…At hatching, the POI crayfi sh are virtually bare of any external receptor hairs ( Fig. 4.16D ; Sandeman and Sandeman 1996 ;Vogt 2008b ). In the POI stage, the fi rst pair of antennae is differentiated into three basal segments of which the most proximal bears the two fl agella, the lateral of which has fi ve fl agellomeres or annuli.…”