Naked mole rats are extraordinary creatures that have fascinated biologists for decades. These rodents are native to East Africa and live in underground burrows where they spend their entire lives. They are blind, hairless and have very little body fat. Despite their unappealing appearance, naked mole rats are one of the longest-lived rodent species with a lifespan of up to 30 years.
Naked mole rats are highly social animals that live in large colonies consisting of up to 80 individuals. Each colony has a well-defined social structure with a single breeding female (the queen) and several non-breeding males (workers). The workers cooperate to care for the young, build and maintain the burrow, and gather food.
The queen is the only naked mole rat that reproduces; she gives birth to litters of up to 28 young at a time. The other members of the colony help to care for the young until they are old enough to fend for themselves. Naked mole rats have an interesting way of coping with periods of food scarcity – when food is scarce, the colony’s reproductive activity slows down and some individuals even stop eating altogether until conditions improve. This allows the colony to survive during times when food is scarce.
Naked mole rats are resistant to cancer and many other age-related diseases making them an attractive model organism for studies on aging and disease. Their resistance to cancer is thought to be due, in part, to their low rate of cell division which reduces the chances that mutations will occur that could lead to cancerous growths. Additionally, naked mole rats produce high levels of a protein called HMW-HA which inhibits tumor growth by interfering with cell proliferation signals. Studies on naked mole rats may help us better understand how we can prevent or treat cancer in humans