On June 16, 2014 Vox’s long form article on the longevity of naked mole rats sited AFAR Board Member S. Jay Olshansky as an expert in aging research and elaborated on the research of 2006 AFAR Research Award Recipient Vera Gorbunova and 2009 Glenn/AFAR Breakthroughs in Gerontology Awardee, Rochelle Buffenstein.
With lifespans of up to 30 years, naked mole rats live up to six times longer than other similar sized rodents. New research by grantee Dr. Gorbunova and her partner found that the barrier of a sugar called hyaluronan, which sits as goo between cells, helps to limit cell division and protect Naked Mole Rats from diseases such as cancer.
Through research looking at how naked mole rats have adapted to live underground, Dr. Buffenstein’s learned that the rodent’s ability to survive on limited amounts of O2 helps to limit oxidation stress which gradually destroys DNA, proteins, and fat molecules.
These finding help to explain the exceptional lifespans of naked mole rats. Continued research into the aging of these and other animals is significant because it allows investigators better understand human aging.
S. Jay Olshansky, Ph.D., is a Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Vera Gorbunova, Ph.D., is a Professor in the University of Rochester Department of Biology.
Rochelle Buffenstein, Ph.D., is a Professor of Physiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
For more information on how researchers translate finding from Animal Models to advancements in understanding the biology of human aging visit our educational site InfoAging.
