Scientists Successfully Transfer Longevity Gene from Naked Mole Rat to Mice, Extending Lifespan and Improving Health

Naked mole rats are not the most attractive creatures on the planet. With their wrinkled, hairless bodies and oversized teeth, they might never win a beauty contest. But to scientists who study aging, these strange little rodents are nothing short of remarkable. They can live for decades, rarely develop cancer, and appear to be protected from many of the diseases that typically come with old age.

Now, researchers at the University of Rochester have shown that one of the naked mole rat’s biological advantages can actually be transferred to another mammal. By inserting a specific gene linked to the animal’s unusually high levels of a substance called high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, or HMW-HA, the team improved health and modestly extended lifespan in mice. The findings, published in the journal Nature in 2023, suggest that some of the longevity traits that evolved in long-lived animals may work beyond the species that originally developed them.

The genetically modified mice lived healthier lives and had an approximate 4.4 percent increase in median lifespan compared with ordinary mice. While that number may seem small, the implications are significant. It marks the first time a longevity mechanism from one mammal has been successfully transplanted into another.

“Our study provides a proof of principle that unique longevity mechanisms that evolved in long-lived mammalian species can be exported to improve the lifespans of other mammals,” said Vera Gorbunova, the Doris Johns Cherry Professor of biology and medicine at Rochester.

What Makes the Naked Mole Rat So Special?

Naked mole rats are about the size of a mouse, but their lifespans are extraordinary for rodents. They can live up to 41 years, nearly ten times longer than similarly sized rodents. For context, a typical house mouse lives only about two to three years. That kind of longevity is rare in the animal kingdom, and it has made the naked mole rat a superstar in aging research.

But their long lives are not the only reason scientists study them. As they age, naked mole rats appear to avoid many conditions that commonly affect other mammals, including neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and cancer. For decades, Gorbunova, her colleague Andrei Seluanov, a professor of biology, and other researchers have been investigating how these animals stay so resilient.

One major clue is HMW-HA. Naked mole rats carry roughly ten times more of this substance than mice and humans. In earlier work, researchers found that when HMW-HA was removed from naked mole rat cells, those cells became more likely to form tumors. That finding raised a powerful question: If HMW-HA helps naked mole rats resist cancer and age-related damage, could the same mechanism work in a different animal?

How the Gene Transfer Worked

To test this idea, the Rochester team engineered mice to carry the naked mole rat version of a gene called hyaluronan synthase 2. This gene is responsible for making the protein that produces HMW-HA. All mammals have a version of this gene, but the naked mole rat version appears to be especially active. It seems to drive stronger gene expression, leading to greater production of the protective molecule.

The modified mice developed higher levels of hyaluronan in several tissues. They also showed stronger protection against spontaneous tumors and chemically induced skin cancer. But the effects were not limited to cancer resistance. The mice carrying the naked mole rat gene stayed healthier overall, lived longer than regular mice, had less inflammation in multiple tissues as they aged, and maintained better gut health.

Because chronic inflammation is one of the major biological features of aging, the reduction in inflammation was especially important. The researchers believe HMW-HA may work partly by directly influencing the immune system, although more research is needed to explain exactly how it produces such broad benefits.

What This Means for You

If you are wondering whether this means scientists are about to create a pill that lets humans live to 150, the answer is no — at least not yet. The increase in median lifespan for the mice was about 4.4 percent, which is modest. But the larger significance is that a longevity mechanism from one mammal was successfully transferred to another.

That makes the finding more than a mouse study about a single gene. It supports the idea that nature’s long-lived species may contain biological tools that can be studied, adapted, and possibly used to improve health in other animals. For humans, that could eventually mean new treatments aimed at preventing age-related diseases like cancer, arthritis, and heart disease.

“It took us 10 years from the discovery of HMW-HA in the naked mole rat to showing that HMW-HA improves health in mice,” Gorbunova said. “Our next goal is to transfer this benefit to humans.”

How Scientists Plan to Move Forward

The researchers believe there may be two main ways to pursue that goal. One would be to slow the breakdown of HMW-HA in the body. Another would be to increase its production. Both approaches are being explored.

“We already have identified molecules that slow down hyaluronan degradation and are testing them in pre-clinical trials,” Seluanov said. “We hope that our findings will provide the first, but not the last, example of how longevity adaptations from a long-lived species can be adapted to benefit human longevity and health.”

Since the 2023 Nature study, naked mole rats have continued to offer new clues about why they age so differently from other mammals. A 2025 study in Science reported another potential longevity mechanism involving a protein called cGAS, which is better known for its role in immune defense. In humans and mice, cGAS can interfere with some forms of DNA repair, but the naked mole rat version appears to help cells repair DNA damage more effectively. That study found that specific changes in the naked mole rat protein improved genome stability and delayed signs of aging in experimental models.

This newer work does not replace the HMW-HA finding. Instead, it strengthens a broader pattern. Naked mole rats likely owe their unusually long, healthy lives to several overlapping defenses, including cancer resistance, inflammation control, DNA repair, and tissue protection.

Practical Takeaways for Readers

While researchers continue to study these remarkable animals, there are steps you can take right now to support healthy aging:

– Reduce chronic inflammation through a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids. Inflammation is linked to many age-related diseases.

• Stay active with regular exercise, which has been shown to reduce inflammation and improve immune function.
• Protect your gut health by eating fiber-rich foods and fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut. The naked mole rat study found better gut health in the modified mice.
• Avoid smoking and limit alcohol, both of which can increase inflammation and damage DNA over time.
• Talk to your doctor about your risk for age-related diseases. Early detection and prevention are key.

The Bigger Picture

For human aging research, these findings matter. A single molecule is unlikely to become a simple fountain of youth. But each discovery gives scientists another possible route for targeting the biological processes that drive age-related disease.

The 2023 gene transfer study remains a striking proof of concept. A survival strategy that evolved in one of nature’s strangest mammals helped mice resist disease, age more smoothly, and live longer. The next challenge is determining whether those same biological tricks can be safely adapted to improve human healthspan.

As Gorbunova noted, the journey from discovery to application takes time. But for the first time, scientists have shown that a longevity mechanism from one mammal can work in another. That is no small step — it is a leap forward in understanding how we might one day slow the aging process itself.

Source: ScienceDaily