Biomedical Research: The Capabilities of the Naked Mole-Rat Fascinate the Scientific Community

Despite its unattractive appearance, the naked mole-rat (or hetercephalus) is a living enigma that fascinates researchers. Native to East Africa, this small rodent—with hairless skin, atrophied eyes, and prominent teeth—lives underground for about 30 years, which is ten times longer than an ordinary mouse, and remains in good health. On a human scale, this equates to a life expectancy of some 600 years... Unraveling the secret of its longevity—as well as its astonishing resistance to disease—would provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of aging in humans and numerous types of cancer. To continue research on the naked mole-rat, funds will be raised at a gala organized tonight in Paris by the Foundation for Research in Physiology*.   For the new Belgium-based foundation, unraveling the mystery of the naked mole-rat means solving the puzzle of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and all human conditions related to aging. This is because this unique animal model, which is closely related to humans (99% shared genes), shows no signs of physical or cognitive aging and remains fertile until death. No disease, including cancer, appears to affect it, and its metabolism is extremely resistant to oxygen deprivation (40 minutes without brain damage, versus 2 minutes in mice). Furthermore, its body systematically eliminates experimentally implanted cancerous tumors, which are otherwise fatal in mice. Similarly, when exposed to chemicals with toxicity, the mole rat does not develop cancer... Finally, it is poikilothermic, like amphibians—an exception among mammals. Another unique feature is that this rodent lives in colonies with a social organization similar to that of insects, such as ants or termites. Its reproductive capacity is extraordinary. However, only a single female reproduces, while the soldiers and workers carry out their respective tasks within the colony. The queen, larger and longer than her fellow rats, is despotic and constantly harasses her troops. She is the one who chooses her king or kings (between one and three males). And her fertility increases with age! Thus, the mole rat possesses unique mechanisms not found in other animals: a mysterious biochemical phenomenon allows them to live very long lives in perfect health, avoid cancer, ward off toxic chemicals, ignore painful stimuli, etc. To further explore the natural defenses of this unique animal, the new foundation is organizing an event this Monday to raise the funds needed to carry out the research. The goal is to shed light on the naked mole-rat’s protective mechanisms in order to better prevent cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer in humans—the second leading cause of death worldwide. Hervé Gomichon is the only veterinarian on the foundation’s scientific advisory board. He also chairs the board of directors of the Alfort Veterinary School, which houses the only colony of naked mole-rats in France : about 100 of them, donated by a retired South African researcher, are expected to advance research in comparative physiology, particularly regarding cancer.   * http://fondationphysiologie.org/objectifs-et-missions-de-la-fondation/   https://youtu.be/v8CnHeah7HQ https://youtu.be/T5D43c2JDD0