A gecko named Mr. Frosty and his kin have helped scientists uncover the genetic glitch that gives these lizards their standout color — and their high risk for skin tumors.
The geckos are a variety of leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) called Lemon Frost, which sports stark white skin that not only highlights its yellow coloring, but also tends to develop tumors. A new study pegs these Lemon Frost traits to a single gene that has also been implicated in the skin cancer melanoma in people (SN: 3/1/19).
These results suggest that Lemon Frost geckos could be used to investigate new treatments for skin cancer, researchers report online June 24
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