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For Everyone Touched By Cancer
While cancer remains one of the most challenging diseases in the world; medical research has advanced significantly, and scientists continuously searching to find new ways to prevent and treat different types of cancer. Surprisingly, one of the most promising sources of inspiration comes from an unexpected place: the underground naked mole rats.
Naked mole rats may not be as well-known as other animals, but they are one of the most fascinating creatures in current scientific world. These small, wrinkly, almost hairless rodents spend their lives burrowing underground, avoiding sunlight, and living in highly structured colonies. But beneath their odd appearance lies something extraordinary; mole rats are practically immune to cancer.
Unlike humans and most other mammals, who are highly vulnerable to different types of cancer, mole rat bodies seem to have unique built-in protective mechanism that prevents tumours formation, unhealthy cell duplications and hence shut the cancer down before it even starts.
Scientists are studying these remarkable animals to understand the secret behind their resistance to cancer and if we can unlock their secret and apply or stimulate similar defence mechanism in humans, this could pave the way for groundbreaking cancer treatments.
This article explores how these fascinating creatures prevent cancer, what we can learn from them, and how their unique biology could shape the future of cancer research.
Naked mole rats (Heterocephalus glaber) are unlike any other mammals in so many ways. Despite any other animals of their size and compared to the 2-4 years life span of other rodents, they live extraordinarily long lives up to 37 years.
Even more remarkably, they do not show the usual signs of aging, such as organ deficiency, reduced healthy tissues or increased risk of diseases. They remain healthy and strong throughout their life span and as they age.
Their eusocial lifestyle and underground environment have shaped their biology in unique ways where they can thrive in low oxygen environments which can be harmful to other mammals. Similar to bees and ants, they live in cooperative groups where individuals work together to support their colonies. But the most fascinating trait of all is that they almost never develop cancer. Unlike human cells that can turn cancerous and multiply uncontrollably, mole rats have evolved multiple ways to stop cancer creation before it spreads.
Scientists have identified several key reasons why naked mole rats are naturally cancer resistant. Understanding these inherent biological defences could lead to new ways of preventing and treating cancer in humans.
In humans, cancer spreads when damaged cells multiply uncontrollably. Researchers found that naked mole rat produce a unique type of sugar substance which creates a dense, jelly-like environment between and surrounding their cells. This special substance is called high-molecular-weight hyaluronan (HMW-HA).
This gel-like sugar substance makes their tissues more flexible and helps them heal quickly. It also prevents cells from overcrowding which is a crucial factor in tumour formation and occurrence of cancer. Unhealthy cell duplications (Cancer) in this environment looks like building a house on a glue, which just does not work.
Our immune system is designed to detect and destroy abnormal cells before they become dangerous. However, cancer cells in humans sometimes manage to hide and scape from these defences.
Naked mole rats have an unusual population of special type of immune cells [called γδT cells], which are much more effective at recognising and eliminating abnormal cells. These cells protect the body and destroy any potential cancer cells before they get a chance to multiply.
Scientists are now studying to find ways boosting and stimulating similar immune cells in humans. If this research succeeds, it could lead to safer, more effective immunotherapies that use the body’s natural defence mechanism to treat cancer.
When we age, the human cells become more vulnerable to damage and mutations. Damaged cells sometimes continue growing instead of shutting down. This uncontrolled growth is what leads to tumours.
Mole rats on the other hand, have evolved to age much more slowly, and their cells remarkably resistant to stress, damage, and mutations. They have an extra layer of protection in their DNA [the gene is called p16INK4a], which forces damaged cells to stop dividing. If a mole rat cell starts behaving abnormally or mutation occurs, this gene activates and shuts it down before it can cause any harm and duplications.
This natural self-destructive mechanism is something that human medicine could potentially replicate. By learning how to activate this fail-safe response in human cells, scientists hope to develop treatments that could stop cancer in its earliest stages.
The study of naked mole rats is still ongoing, but scientists believe studying their unique biology could lead to new treatments and even cancer prevention strategies in humans. Here are highlights of some of the current potential promising studies in cancer research.
Researchers are working to find a way to safely increase HMW-HA production in human tissues, which can create an environment that makes it harder for cancer cells to grow and spread. This approach could be especially useful for high-risk individuals and potentially reduces their chances of developing cancer.
Scientists are now exploring ways to make the working mechanism and population of γδT cells in humans more like those in mole rats. If successful, this could lead to developing new immunotherapy treatments that help the immune system detect and destroy cancer cells more effectively.
By studying how mole rats activate their p16INK4a gene, researchers hope to develop drugs that can trigger the same response in human cells. This could stop harmful mutations from turning into full-blown cancer and helps detecting and destructing the mutated and damaged cells automatically.
While these discoveries are still in the early stages, they offer hope for a future where cancer could be much easier to prevent, detect and treat.
Similar to any other new findings and research studies, there are some potential challenges throughout the way. However, despite some challenges such as potential side effects of human gene/cell modifications, the current research studies in this topic are promising. Scientists are making significant progress, and the discoveries made from studying naked mole rats could lead to real breakthroughs in cancer treatment.
A cancer diagnosis is life-changing, and the journey through treatment can be physically and emotionally challenging. However, the search for better treatments and potential cures is constantly advancing and comparing the new treatments and medications to the ones used in our parent’s generation can justify that ongoing research in this topic has been significantly successful so far. The remarkable biology of naked mole rats is just one of many areas of research that could bring new hope to those affected by cancer.
While these discoveries might not lead to an instant cure, they provide a glimpse into a future where cancer may one day be an easier condition to prevent, detect, and treat. Every scientific breakthrough and continues research, brings us closer to this goal.
1. Buffenstein, R. (2008) ‘Negligible senescence in the longest-living rodent, the naked mole-rat’, Aging Cell, 7(3), pp. 315–324. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-9726.2008.00367.x
2. Ruby, J. G., Smith, M., and Buffenstein, R. (2018) ‘Naked mole-rat mortality rates defy Gompertzian laws by not increasing with age’, eLife, 7, e31157. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.31157.
3. Tian, X., Azpurua, J., Ke, Z., Augereau, A., Zhang, Z. D., Vijg, J., Gladyshev, V. N. and Gorbunova, V. (2013) ‘High-molecular-mass hyaluronan mediates the cancer resistance of the naked mole rat’, Nature, 499(7458), pp. 346–349. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12234.
4. Hilton, H.G., Rubinstein, N.D., Janki, P., Ireland, A.T., Bernstein, N., Wright, K.M., Smith, M., Saldana, R., Ruth, M., Lee, J., Pantalone, S., DeGiorgio, M., Phifer, A., Gatlin, J.C., Keane, T.M., Bebell, L.M., Adams, D.J. and Hadfield, J. (2019) ‘Single-cell transcriptomics of the naked mole-rat reveals unexpected features of mammalian immunity’, PLoS Biology, 17(11), e3000528. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000528.
5. Seluanov, A., Hine, C., Bozzella, M., Hall, A., Salmon, A.B. and Gorbunova, V. (2009) ‘Hypersensitivity to contact inhibition provides a clue to cancer resistance of naked mole-rat’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(46), pp. 19352–19357. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0905252106.
Mohammad holds a degree in Biomedical Engineering and has experience as a volunteer research assistant in cancer toxicology projects at the University of Bradford. After completing his undergraduate studies, he pursued postgraduate research but had to pause his academic journey due to unforeseen circumstances and ongoing medical treatments.
Beyond his academic and research background, Mohammad has a deep passion for writing, particularly on topics related to medical and cancer research, philosophy, psychology, and literature. His motivation to contribute to Cancer Care Parcel stems from a personal experience; during his first year of university, his mother was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. As a refugee at the time, followed by COVID-19 outbreak and international travel restrictions in place, traveling home to support her in person was not an option. Instead, he found other ways to help, staying connected through video calls, scheduling online therapy and one-to-one home-visit training/activity sessions, researching supportive care strategies based on recommendations from caregivers and the wider cancer support community, and sending her relevant books or thoughtful packages to provide comfort during her treatment.
Through these experiences, Mohammad gained a profound understanding of the emotional and practical challenges faced by those affected by cancer. Now, he hopes to give back to the community that provided him with support, using his writing to offer insight, comfort, and guidance to others navigating similar journeys.
