Longevity & AgingNaked Mole Rat Longevity Gene Transferred to Mice Extends Their Lifespan
Scientists at the University of Rochester took a gene from naked mole rats — animals that live up to 41 years and rarely get cancer — and inserted it into mice. The gene boosts production of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, a protective molecule that naked mole rats have in abundance. The genetically modified mice lived about 4.4 percent longer than normal mice, showed stronger resistance to tumors, had healthier guts, and displayed lower levels of age-related inflammation. Published in Nature, this study is the first to demonstrate that a longevity trait evolved in one mammal species can be successfully transferred to another, opening a new avenue of research into how we might one day apply similar strategies to human aging.
