In medical science, anti-aging has always been a hard-to-crack phenomenon. While humans have always been on the quest of longevity to push past the century mark, an unlikely mentor has been hiding in the icy waters of the Arctic: the bowhead whale, a creature that can live over 200 years.
A ground-breaking study published in Nature by researchers at the University of Rochester has finally identified the superpower behind this extreme lifespan.
The whale’s secret of longevity lies in its biology dominated by a specific protein called CIRBP (Cold-Inducible RNA-binding Protein). The protein is helpful in repairing serious genetic damage known as double-strand DNA breaks, which are responsible for causing cancers, aging, and other fatal diseases in humans.
According to Vera Gorbunova, who is Co-director of Rochester Ageing Research Centre, the bowhead whale contains CIRBP in 100 times more in quantity than other mammals.
For years, scientists have been struggling to solve Peto’s Paradox, a mind-boggling puzzle which shows that despite facing higher risk of developing the cancer because of more cells, the larger animals live longer.
The presence of this specific protein may help to unravel this long-held mystery.
Can humans benefit from this discovery?
Gorbunova said, “There are different ways to improve genome maintenance, and here we learn there is one unique way that evolved in bowhead whales where they dramatically increase the levels of this protein. Now we have to see if we can develop strategies to upregulate the same pathway in humans.”
“This research shows it is possible to live longer than the typical human lifespan,” he added.
The researchers also introduced the whale version of the CRIBP protein in human cells and fruit flies to examine the efficacy of this protein. But this research is at the early stages, but some results showed improved DNA repair.
They also discover the surprising link between cold temperatures and increased levels of CRIBP protein. The researchers are now working on various approaches, such as cold showers or cold temperature exposure to induce the production of the protein in humans.
