Could naked mole rats hold key to curing cancer and dementia? Researchers say rodent has unique DNA repair mechanism.

[2greys]

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.

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.

“What we’re trying to do is to understand what makes them so resistant and then to try to harness that knowledge to come up with new treatments for cancer and conditions like dementia in people.

“This is not about extending life but extending the quality of life.”

bradford.ac.uk/news/archive...

International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Research Paper:

mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/11/60...

[HungryHufflepuff]

This would be amazing. By the sound of it they're still at the stage of looking at possibilities. But if someone could figure out how to harness the lack of age related deterioration in these animals that would be a game changer.

[Oldasthmaticfart in reply to HungryHufflepuff]

There are already some very good treatments for cancer, but for monetary reasons they are shut down. For example:ukcolumn.org/index.php/arti...

[Hidden in reply to Oldasthmaticfart]

Without wanting to get into a long debate and conversation about it, U.K. Column are not considered a particularly reliable, unbiased source:

mediabiasfactcheck.com/uk-c...

That’s also secondary to the fact that the validity of the original studies into GcMAF have been called into major question entirely independently of the Noakes trial and conviction. As clinical studies, they were majorly flawed by any accepted standard, and although GcMAF is still being explored as a potential cancer therapeutic, the claims made about it curing cancer have been withdrawn. There are lots of peer-reviewed papers about this subject available for those wishing to read further.

[Alberta56]

Naked mole rays are fascinating little creatures. I hope this research won't involve killing too many.