Rochester Group Extends Mice Lifespan 4.4% With Naked Mole-Rat Hyaluronan Gene

3 articles · Updated · spacedaily.com · Jun 8

A 2023 Rochester study found mice engineered with a naked mole-rat hyaluronan gene lived about 4.4% longer at the median, while also developing fewer tumors and showing less age-related inflammation.
The effect appears tied to unusually large hyaluronan—more than five times the size of the human or mouse version—which helps cells stop dividing when crowded, an early brake on tumor formation.
That mechanism was first pinned down in naked mole-rats, where removing the large hyaluronan from cells erased much of their cancer resistance, making it one of the species' clearest anti-aging clues.
Researchers are now testing pre-clinical ways to raise or preserve this hyaluronan in humans, though the report stresses the mouse result is real but modest and far from a proven path to longer human life.

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spacedaily.com14d ago

Rochester Group Extends Mouse Lifespan by 4.4% Using Naked Mole-Rat Gene

linkedin14d ago

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From Naked Mole Rat to Mouse: Genetic Transfer Boosts Lifespan and Healthspan by 12%

Overview

In August 2023, University of Rochester researchers made a major breakthrough by transferring a key longevity mechanism from naked mole rats to mice. They genetically engineered mice to express the naked mole rat version of the HAS2 gene, leading to the production of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HMW-HA), a molecule found at much higher levels in naked mole rats. This change, based on earlier discoveries linking HMW-HA to cancer resistance, resulted in mice living longer and healthier lives. The study shows that longevity traits from long-lived species can be successfully introduced into other mammals, opening new possibilities for aging research.

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