It is true that they are not cute animals. They are wrinkly and hairless, with huge teeth. Naked mole rats are small and slippery. But they are also the mammals that don’t age. They may hold the key to understanding a variety of human disorders, such as cancer and aging.
They live in large subway colonies that can total up to 300 rats. These are harsh low-oxygen conditions. Most aerobic organisms have difficulty surviving in such environments. But these are the rodents that live the longest.
Painless
It is difficult to know their age. They show limited signs of physical deterioration. No significant changes in cardiac function, body composition, bone quality, or metabolism.
Every second human is likely to get cancer. But in this species that is extremely rare. It is believed that they have an anti-cancer mechanism called cellular senescence. An evolutionary adaptation that prevents damaged cells from dividing uncontrollably.
Perhaps the strangest peculiarity of the naked mole rat is that it is insensitive to pain. “This is the evolutionary adaptation to its high-carbon dioxide environment,” the researchers explain.
Like honeybees, a high-ranking queen rules the mole rat colony. She breeds with one to three males at a time. Others dig burrows or forage for food.
The naked mole rats they have at Bradford University manifest “incredible intelligence” and some “crazy” habits. Within their highly organized colonies, they have nesting chambers for sleeping. And toilets to keep their habitats clean, he says.
Research pending
By the time the pups were born, the colony had set up a “nursery” to raise young naked mole rats. “Their extreme biology is very fascinating and provides great insights. But it’s not easy to set up research facilities for this species,” they explain.
Non-aging mammals have not yet been investigated as they should be. It is hoped that they will provide a great opportunity for innovative cancer treatments. After all, they are not such ugly animals.
