Longevity & AgingBowhead Whales Carry Superior DNA Repair Machinery Linked to Their 200-Year Lifespan
Researchers at the University of Rochester and collaborating institutions compared DNA repair capacity in bowhead whale cells versus shorter-lived mammals including humans. Using multiple assays covering double-strand break repair, nucleotide excision repair, and base excision repair, they found bowhead whale cells consistently outperformed other species. Proteomic and genomic analyses revealed elevated expression of key DNA repair proteins and positively selected variants in repair genes. The bowhead whale, which can live over 200 years with remarkably low cancer rates, appears to have evolved enhanced genome maintenance as a core longevity mechanism. These findings suggest that superior DNA repair fidelity is not merely a consequence of long life but a likely driver of it, with potential implications for understanding and extending healthy human lifespan.
