Researchers have cracked the DNA code of the longest-lived mammal, a discovery they say “it shows that it is possible to live longer than the average human lifespan.”
PHOTO: Shutterstock
According to Express, scientists have managed to decipher the DNA code of the longest living mammal, the bowhead whale.
It can live for more than 200 years thanks to a protein called CIRBP, which helps the body repair damaged DNA. The protein, named “cold-inducible RNA-binding protein” (CIRBP), allows the giant sea creature, which weighs about 80 tons, to keep cancer at bay.
After identifying the protein, researchers at the University of Rochester in New York added it to human cells and found that they repaired themselves more accurately. In addition, when they introduced the protein into fruit flies (Drosophila), their lifespan increased.
“This research shows that it is possible to live longer than the average human lifespan”said professor Vera Gorbunova, who led the study.
Bowhead whale/PHOTO: Wikipedia
Working with researchers in Alaska, the Rochester team also found that cold temperatures appear to enhance the activity of the CIRBP protein.
While it is too early to say how the discovery may apply to humans, Gorbunova suggested that it would be worth exploring methods by which the activity of the CIRBP protein in the human body could be stimulated.
The hypothesis includes the possibility that exposure to cold—for example, cold showers—may have a beneficial effect.
“There are many ways to improve the maintenance of genome integrity, and here we learn about a unique pathway developed in bowhead whales that significantly increase their levels of this protein,” explained the researcher.
“Now we need to see if we can develop strategies to activate the same pathway in humans.”
For now, these ideas remain purely theoretical.
Researchers have discovered that the protein CIRBP, present in bowhead whales, efficiently repairs DNA and reduces mutations that lead to cancer, explaining why these mammals live so long. The team will now test whether the protein’s effect can be replicated in smaller, shorter-lived mammals.
