The Same Protein That Gives You A Cowlick Also Fights Cancer

How many things about your body do you feel unlucky to have? Most of us have more than a few. I know I could have handled having hair on my head for a few more years, and maybe being a bit taller would come in handy sometimes. And I definitely envy folks who don't need glasses.

However, some of those things we don't like about ourselves have unforeseen benefits. Sure, I have to put sunscreen on my scalp if I'm going to leave the house without a hat, but I also haven't had to pay for a haircut in about a decade. So it's not all bad! And if you have more hair than I do but you've struggled with a cowlick, you just got some good news.

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When unkempt, unruly hair is in style, people with cowlicks can rejoice.

Of course, when it's not, cowlicks are the worst. They're going to do what they want to do regardless of your styling efforts.

However, if like you're like Kristen Stewart or Candice Swanepoel or even Brad Pitt, you might be more fortunate than you think.

That's because a study out of Michigan State University has discovered an important link between cowlicks and fighting cancer.

It sounds ridiculous, I know.

What do cowlicks have to do with cancer?

It all comes down to your body's polarity genes. You've probably never heard of polarity genes, but they do important work in the body.

Polarity genes do a number of things: They help distribute nutrients to the cells and determine where the front and back of cells grow.

They're so fundamental to the way cells operate that scientists had lumped them in with other "housekeeping" genes that regulate the basic function of cells. Polarity genes also cause some structures in the body to form in opposition to each other — which allows cowlicks to form.

However, polarity genes are regulated by a certain protein that also helps to fight cancer...

The protein in question does a number of good things like repairing DNA and controlling cell reproduction, which helps your body fight cancer every day.

So how did the researchers figure out the link between cowlicks and fighting cancer?

The research team turned to fruit flies, which humans share a surprising amount of DNA with.

When the researchers added the cancer-fighting protein to the fruit flies, they saw an unexpected result: The regularly uniform hair on the flies formed cowlicks. 

And so the lowly, pesky fruit fly pointed the way to a significant cancer breakthrough.

This research could lead to new treatments based on awakening that cancer-fighting protein.

Bet that cowlick in the mirror doesn't look so bad now, does it?

Anything that will keep cancer at bay is always in style!

SHARE this if you know someone with a cowlick!