Envy the naked mole-rat. It isn’t immortal, but not for lack of trying.
To start, the species is remarkably resistant to cancer, with no documented case of the disease among naked mole-rats in the wild.
They would be the scourge of insurance actuaries. A mole-rat’s risk of dying does not increase with age, unlike other mammals, including humans. One of these specimens at the ripe age of 35 has the same annual odds of dying as its 2-year-old offspring.
Other rodents might live a couple of years. Naked mole-rats can approach nearly 40 — an age that is 10 times the typical lifespan of animals their size.
Now, Chinese scientists have uncovered what they say is the molecular mechanism allowing these critters to earn the title of "Methuselahs of the Mammal World."
The mole-rat’s genetics are closer to humans than mice. That makes them an excellent candidate in the search for ways to prolong human life.
The mole-rat’s genome is very stable, which is one reason why they are so long-lived. How they managed that stability has been a mystery.
The researchers discovered small evolutionary mutations in an enzyme that is key in the mole-rat repairing damaged DNA and fighting infections. It comes down to changes in just four amino acids.
In humans and mice, the enzyme works to hinder DNA repair.
Scientists engineered fruit flies with the same amino acid mutations. The flies lived longer lives.
Researchers will study whether the mole-rat’s biology holds the key to increasing human longevity. Much work needs to be done before that question is answered.
By the way — while the naked mole-rat does appear relatively hairless, it is the proud owner of a few well-placed sensory whiskers … and some hairs between its toes.
