Arctic anti-ageing Why bowhead whales live over 200 years - and humans may soon too
Bowhead whales defy age like no other mammal. Researchers have now discovered how bowhead whales repair damaged DNA particularly efficiently - with potential relevance for humans.
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- Bowhead whales live to be over 200 years old, which could be linked to their exceptionally efficient way of repairing their DNA.
- A protein called CIRBP, which is more active in the cold, plays a central role in this process and is found in high concentrations in bowhead whales.
- Initial experiments on human cells and fruit flies suggest that CIRBP could also extend the lifespan of other species.
Bowhead whales live over 200 years - longer than any other mammal. A study published in the journal "Nature" now shows why this could be the case. Researchers have discovered that bowhead whales are particularly good at repairing damaged DNA.
The DNA of every living being suffers repeated damage over the course of its life, which is repaired by cells. But not always successfully. The researchers discovered that bowhead whales have a high concentration of a protein called CIRBP, which enhances DNA repair. Its activity is also stimulated by cold. Bowhead whales live in the Arctic Ocean.
Also relevant for humans
The findings could one day also be relevant for humans. "This research shows that living longer than the average human life expectancy is possible," says Vera Gorbunova, a biologist at the University of Rochester in New York and co-author of the study, in a statement from the university. When the researchers inserted the CIRBP gene into human cells, the DNA repair rate doubled. Experiments on fruit flies showed that additional CIRBP extended their lifespan.
Researchers are now also breeding mice with increased CIRBP concentrations to observe their lifespan. They also want to find out whether people who swim in cold water or take cold showers have increased CIRBP levels.
