Bowhead whales can live for an amazing 200 years. Their remarkable disease resistance has recently come to the attention of scientists, leading to substantial interest and research. Recent research has identified a protein called CIRBP (Cold-Inducible RNA-binding protein) as a potential contributing factor to their longevity and health. This amazing finding opens doors to unprecedented discoveries on how we can optimize human health. This presents enormous potential for combating cancer and other diseases of aging in the years to come.
We kicked off this new era with a leading study headed by Dr. Vera Gorbunova, Doris Johns Cherry Professor and director of the Upstate NY Comparative Biology of Aging Nathan Shock Center. It turned out that CIRBP markedly prolongs lifespan and increases resistance to DNA damage. In experimental models with Drosophila (the common fruit fly), researchers discovered that CIRBP overexpression enhances longevity. This development increases the flies’ resiliency to cellular stress.
For example, fibroblasts derived from bowhead whales display pronounced hallmarks of senescence. Additionally, they have a diminished Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype (SASP) and retain low basal p53 activity. These results suggest that bowhead whales operate under cellular mechanisms that differ from other species. This might help to account for why the largest animals don’t have more cancer, despite their long lives and more time spent with extra cell division along the way.
The multi-stage model of cancer indicates that most human cancers arise after a cell accumulates five to seven “hits” or mutations. Interestingly, the researchers found that larger species —such as the bowhead whale—have more cells dividing over long time scales. Unlike smaller animals, these whales don’t appear to have an increase in cancer occurrence.
For humans, Dr. Gorbunova has been clear about her optimism over the meaning of this research. She describes bowhead whales as having potential mechanisms to let humans, too, break the longevity barrier. None of this means going beyond business as usual is only a pipe dream. The implications of these discoveries indicate promising ways we may be able to boost DNA repair, increase cancer resistance and extend the human lifespan.
The initial findings showed that one of the primary repair mechanisms investigated, DNA-PKcs, was significantly more abundant in bowhead whales. This makes them distinct from their mammalian counterparts. This wealth could help explain their uncommon long lives and good health, making CIRBP especially spectacular among mammals.
Looking to the future, Dr. Gorbunova and her team are exploring various methods to increase the expression of CIRBP in humans. Here’s hoping for some ground-breaking new research! Our hope is that this whale-inspired defense mechanism can someday protect humans from developing cancer and other age-related diseases as they grow older.