Like naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus gaber), blind mole-rats
(of the genus Spalax) live underground in low-oxygen environments, are
long-lived and resistant to cancer. A new study demonstrates just how
cancer-resistant Spalax are, and suggests that the adaptations that help these
rodents survive in low-oxygen environments also play a role in their longevity
and cancer resistance.
The findings are reported in the journal Biomed Central:
Biology.
“We’ve shown that, compared to mice and rats, blind
mole-rats are highly resistant to carcinogens,” said Mark Band, the director of
functional genomics at the University of
Illinois Biotechnology Center and a co-author on the study. Band led a previous
analysis of gene expression in blind mole-rats living in low-oxygen (hypoxic)
environments. He found that genes that respond to hypoxia are known to also play
a role in aging and in suppressing or promoting cancer.