HUMANS could live for centuries after scientists have cracked the DNA code of the longest living mammal.
The bowhead whale that can live for more than 200 years could hold the key to prolonging human life.
Scientists have identified a protein in the ocean giant that helps the species keep cancers at bay by rebuilding damaged DNA.
The 80 tonne creature is the longest living mammal thanks to the CIRBP protein, short for “cold-inducible RNA-binding protein” which allows the whale to repair its own DNA.
Scientists at the University of Rochester in New York identified the powerful protein and when they added it to human cells, they mended themselves more accurately.
When they added the protein to fruit flies it even prolonged their lives.
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Professor Vera Gorbunova, who lead the study, said the findings could go towards helping future generations “to live longer than the typical human lifespan”.
The bowhead whale, found in artic waters, can live for at least 250 years, and despite having billions of cells it rarely contracts cancer or other diseases which threaten the human body.
“It’s a superstar of longevity research,” said Dr Alex Cagan, evolutionary geneticist at the Wellcome Sanger Institue in the UK.
Bigger animals such as whales and elephants, should have a higher risk of succumbing to cancer as they have more cells dividing over a longer period, leaving more room for mutations.
When cells divide and duplicate they copy their DNA for the daughter cells but if part of the DNA sequence is incorrect, this can lead to a mutation and possibly a tumour.
Why these big mammals do not develop cancer despite their cells needed to divide so much is a biological puzzle known as Peto’s paradox.
Gorbunova and her team first thought the whales were able to handle more mutations without triggering a tumour. After further research they found the whales experienced fewer cancer-causing mutations due to CIRBP.
The protein can help repair breakages in the stands of DNA, this being the most dangerous form of genetic damage.
Bowhead Whales are able to fix their cells better than humans can, allowing their DNA to stay intact for longer periods of time.
Cagan said the results are “compelling” and could point “the way towards new therapeutic angles that could be explored”.
One clue as to why the whales produce so much of the protein could be the colder environment, as the chilly arctic waters increase the production of CIRBP.
Co-author of the study, Andrei Seluanov said: “If we just lower the temperature a few degrees, cells make more CIRBP,”
Scientists were already looking into whether mild explore to colder temperatures could help humans protect themselves from illness. Gurbunova said even simple lifestyle changes, such as taking a cold shower could be worth examining.
The team will now test whether the protein can perform in smaller, shorter-lived mammals as it does in the 20 metre whale.
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Gurbunova explained: “There are different ways to improve genome maintenance. Here we learn there is one unique way that evolved in bowhead whales where they dramatically increase the levels of this protein,”
She added: “Now we have to see if we can develop strategies to upregulate the same pathway in humans.”
