Scientists say naked mole rats - a rodent native to West Africa - may hold the key to new treatments for degenerative diseases such as cancer and dementia. The reclusive animals have a lifespan far in excess of other rodents - for example, mice and rats live about two years, whereas naked mole rats can live for 40 or 50 years.
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Scientists say naked mole rats - a rodent native to West Africa - may hold the key to new treatments for degenerative diseases such as cancer and dementia.
The reclusive animals have a lifespan far in excess of other rodents - for example, mice and rats live about two years, whereas naked mole rats can live for 40 or 50 years.
Researchers at the University of Bradford say the animals have a unique DNA repair mechanism that enables them to prevent cancers and other degenerative conditions, including dementia.
Cancer resistant
Professor Sherif El-Khamisy, Director of the Institute of Cancer Therapeutics at the University, said: Naked mole rats are fascinating creatures, not least because they are so long lived compared to other rodents of the same size. They also do not suffer from - what we call in humans - age associated disorders, such as cancer, dementia and neurological decline.
This naked little Benjamin Button rat is gonna save us all
Photo: Ina Fassbender (Getty Images)
Naked mole rats might actually be the best, most perfect mammal to ever grace the animal kingdom with their presence. This is not hyperbole, but one of many takeaways from a wild new story about naked mole rats published by
Wired. In it, we meet the world’s oldest naked mole rat: Joe. He’s 39 years young, looks like baby-old man Ben Button, and has literally never aged a day, not once in his damn life. According to various experts interviewed for the feature, the naked mole rat’s biology may very well hold the key to slowing down the aging process in humans and protecting us against cancers and other damaging diseases. The naked mole rat, of all things! HUH!