Naked mole rats are the longest-living rodent species. A new study discovered that the genes behind their long lifespan are transferrable to mice.
Longevity Genes From Naked Mole Rats Transferred Into Mice
In a new study, researchers from the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York, showed how mice might be given longevity genes from the longest-living rodent species to increase their lifespan and general health.
According to Vera Gorbunova, the Doris Johns Cherry Professor of Biology and Medicine at Rochester and a co-author of the paper, our research offers proof of concept that special longevity mechanisms that arose in long-lived mammalian species can be exported to increase the lifespans of other mammals.
The super-switched-on form of the hyaluronan synthase 2 gene has been found to transfer from the naked mole rat to mice, conferring the ability to live longer. In a recent study, mice with the naked mole rat variant of this gene had improved skin cancer protection. Their overall health was better, and they lived 4.4 percent longer than their peers.
Although the exact reason why HMW-HA positively impacts health and longevity is still unknown, the researchers think it may have something to do with the molecule's capacity to regulate the immune system directly.
Only in mice have we so far observed this gene's effects. However, these discoveries still present intriguing opportunities for studying anti-aging and the effort to increase human lifespans.
According to co-author Andrei Seluanov, they hoped their finding would provide the first, but not the last, illustration of how the adaptations of long lifespan from a long-lived species can be adapted to promote human health and longevity.
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What Are Naked Mole Rats
Naked mole-rats are pink, almost hairless underground rodents. They have some hair on their toes, allowing their feet to work like brooms to sweet soil. They also possess sensitive whiskers on their faces and tails. They are one of the few eusocial mammals and inhabit eastern Africa's underground tunnels.
The extremely lengthy lifespans of the naked mole are nearly 10 times longer than those of other rodents of comparable size. Their resilience to age-related ailments makes them well-known. The Smithsonian's National Zoo features two unique habitats: one multistory habitat is for younger mole rats, while the other is for elderly mole rats who are approaching the age of 30.
Scientists have been intrigued by their extraordinary powers, and in 2020, the same team made a gene discovery that may be connected to at least one of the processes underlying this animal's exceptional lifespan. High molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HMW-HA), a substance that has been proven to improve cellular tolerance to stress and inflammation, is produced by this gene.
Compared to people or mice, naked mole rats have around 10 times more of these stress-resistant chemicals in their systems. The hyaluronan synthase 2 gene, which generates this chemical, is more robustly expressed (or "switched on") in naked mole rats than in other animals.
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