Mole Rats, Aliens?
A study by researchers at the University of Rochester, New York, has found that Mole Rats are immune to cancer. Naked mole rats are unique in many other ways. For example, they are the only mammals with a hive mind, taking direction from their queen rat as if they were ants; they feel no pain, an adaptation still not fully understood; most advantageous for us, they are the only animals that don’t get cancer..
The mole rat’s cells have a gene that tells cells to stop dividing. The gene, called p16, forms a second ring of defense against cancer. Most mammals, including humans, only have one gene, p27, that protect cells from cancer. Most cancers know a way around p27, but p16 stops them cold.
In the experiment, researchers gave cancer to a mole rat cell. However, unlike similarly altered mouse cells, the cancerous mole rat cell didn’t engage or continue in the non-stop proliferation associated with cancer.
Naked mole rats were already known for their extreme longevity, living much longer than other similarly sized rodents. This was thought to result from their ability to massively slow down their metabolism during times of privation (lack of food), but this immunity to cancer almost certainly also contributes to their long lifespans.
Some other mole rat facts:
- their lips are behind their front teeth,
- they breathe mostly through their skin,
- acid doesn’t burn them.
I don’t know what planet these mole rats are from, but if they’re helping cure cancer, I’m glad they’re here even if they’re aliens.
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