Demographic Aging is Absent in Naked Mole Rats

Naked mole rats are an extreme example of compression of morbidity in mammals, in that individuals show few signs of aging until very late in life. Their biochemistry is peculiar in a number of ways when compared with other mammals. Their senescent cells do little harm to surrounding tissues; their protein synthesis is highly efficient; the are better at repairing DNA damage; they exhibit impressive cancer suppression mechanisms; and so forth. Will it be possible to build human enhancements or medical technologies from what is learned of naked mole rat metabolism? It is plausible that this is a very complicated extremely long-term project; equally any part of naked mole rat biochemistry could turn out to inform a comparatively simple, targeted intervention. It is too early to say. The species Heterocephalus glaber, commonly known as the naked mole-rat, is a eusocial mammal endemic to the arid and semi-arid regions of northeast Africa. In the wild, naked mole-rats live an almost completely subterranean lifestyle, in colonies of up to 295 animals (average size is 60 animals/colony) that cohabitate a network of tunnels that the mole-rats dig themselves with their large, ever-growing incisors. Naked mole-rats are notable for their extreme lifespans, living longer than any other documented rodent, with the longest previously-reported lifespan of 37 years and many animals living beyond 30 years. These values are notable in the context of this species' small body size due t...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs