In addition, naked mole rats age little until the very end of their lives. This is a result of the full expression of the enzyme telomerase. When DNA replicates, some nucleotides at the end of each strand are lost causing progressively shorter DNA as we grow. Eventually, important genes are not replicated and our body begins to break down. Telomerase enables the placement of nucleotides at the end of DNA that can be lost without having any negative effect. Which means cells can grow and divide indefinitely, potentially giving rise to a tumor. In humans, telomerase is suppressed which reduces the risk of cancer but at the same time causes us to age. The safeguards of early contact inhibition on p16 and contact inhibition on p27 mean naked mole rats need not suppress telomerase to stave off cancer and therefore age slowly. This explains their lifespan, which is two-and-a-half decades longer than the average lab mouse. Here too, in the field of age research, the study of naked mole rat DNA proves enlightening.
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Cancer Cure
posted 11/28/09 @ 1:27 AM CST
It appears that a lot can be learned from this rodent. Recently a lot of studies have shown that when humans get a lot of vitamin D (a steroid hormone), it increases their immune system and dramatically reduces their chances of getting the flu, cancer and other diseases. (Continued…)
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