The remarkable lifespan of the not-so-pretty naked mole rat may offer clues on how to extend human longevity. The mouse-sized rodents live up to 41 years, nearly 10 times the lifespan of similar rodents. They also show few signs of neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, or cancer as they age.
Researchers from the University of Rochester in New York took a gene from the mole rat and transferred it into mice, leading to enhanced health and increased longevity in the mice, says Study Finds.
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“Our study provides a proof of principle that unique longevity mechanisms that evolved in long-lived mammalian species can be exported to improve the lifespans of other mammals,” said Vera Gorbunova, a professor of biology at the University of Rochester. The gene transfer resulted in a 4.4% increase in the median lifespan of the mice, like an additional 3.5 years for an 80-year-old human.
The critical gene responsible for the longevity of the mole rat makes high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, or HMW-HA. Compared to mice and humans, naked mole rats have about 10 times more HMW-HA in their bodies, according to a university release. When researchers removed the HMW-HA from naked mole rat cells, the cells were more likely to form tumors.
The next step was to genetically modify a mouse model to produce the naked mole rat version of the hyaluronic synthase 2 gene, which is the gene responsible for making a protein that produces HMW-HA. While all mammals have this gene, the naked mole rate version seems to be enhanced to drive stronger gene expression.
Gorbunova and her colleagues found that mice with the naked mole rate version of the gene had better protection against spontaneous tumors and chemically induced skin cancer. The rodents also had better overall health and lived longer compared to regular mice. As the mice with the naked mole rat gene aged, they also had less inflammation, which is a hallmark of aging, and maintained a healthier gut.
“It took us 10 years from the discovery of HMW-HA in the naked mole rat to showing that HMW-HA improves health in mice,” Gorbunova said. “Our next goal is to transfer this benefit to humans.” The scientists believe they can accomplish this by either slowing down the degradation of HMW-HA or by enhancing HMW-HA synthesis.
The study was published in the journal Nature.