Naked mole rats resist nearly every known aging mechanism

The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a small rodent that lives thirty years or more under normal conditions, while comparably sized mice live only two to three years. Scientists have described fourteen features of biological aging (the so-called hallmarks of aging). The researchers examined how the naked mole rat handles each of those fourteen hallmarks.

What makes the mole rat different?

One striking finding: aging cells from naked mole rats secrete significantly fewer harmful signalling molecules than aging cells from other mammals. Senescent cells (cells that stop dividing but don’t die and cause damage in surrounding tissue) are a known driver of inflammation and tissue damage in other species. In the naked mole rat, that effect appears strongly muted.

Moreover, female naked mole rats retain their fertility for virtually their entire lifespan. That is exceptional in the animal kingdom and suggests that the trade-off between body maintenance and reproduction plays out differently in this species than classical theory predicts.

From mole rat to human: far away, but not impossible

Researchers have already begun inserting naked mole rat genes into other animal species, as a first step to testing whether therapies are feasible. Early results are promising, according to the authors of the review. But the road from mouse experiments to human therapies is long.

This article is a review study, not a new experiment. Its value lies in summarising existing research and in the directions the authors point for future investigation. Which specific mechanisms are applicable to humans remains an open question.

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