This Creature Could Theoretically Live Forever; Might Be The Key To Immortality

Nothing exists forever, but somewhere in nature there is still a list of biologically immortal creatures; they are creatures possessing special cells, growth mechanisms unlike those in the body such as jellyfish or lobster.

The new study, published in eLife, provides us with evidence of another creature worthy of being named on the list, naked mole-rats.

Scientists at Calico, a research facility under Google's parent company - Alphabet, have studied 3,000 naked mole-rat for years. Having obtained detailed results for a mole-rat's life cycle, they created a model of how likely a rat would die at any given point during its lifespan. 

It is true that the rats did die every so often, but researchers have not found any significant increase in the risk of dying when rats get older. The oldest rat that made it through the study period was at the age of 30.

Comparing this result with common observations, we recognize the difference. When living in the same captive area, rodent creatures of similar body size will live for about 6 years; yet the mole-rat in Calico's experiment could live five times that age. And interestingly, a typical 6-year-old rodent will show signs of aging and loss of fertility. Meanwhile, the oldest female rats in Calico’s study were still a perfect condition to give birth.

“This is the first mammal in which there is a lack of intrinsic mortality with increasing age,” the study author, Rochelle Buffenstein, told Gizmodo. Scientists have confirmed that there are long-lived rodents, but this is the first time a research report based on experiments with large numbers of individuals.

Mole mole rats live underground, in a tunnel system, as a part of a colonel that comprises hundreds of individuals; In the community, only a few males and females are responsible for breeding. According to Professor Buffenstein, the females who are responsible for maintaining the breed also carry lower mortality than others. This leaves the rats against the “disposable soma” theory of aging that living creatures possess only a finite amount of energy to use for essential biological tasks, such as reproduction.

Over the 30-year study, only 400 individuals of the mole died naturally. “ We see animals die with signs of periodontal disease, kidney disease or muscle wasting, but this can occur at any age,” said Professor Buffenstein. Rarely did the number of rats in the study develop age-related diseases such as cancer, and their behaviors mostly remained unchanged as they got older.

From there, the team could make the claim: naked mole rats can be biologically immortal if they avoid injury and diseases. However, the scientists added that there may be an upper limit to the age of the mole rats, that we haven't seen.

The oldest individual, reaching 35 years of age, is a male rat responsible for breeding. The team of researchers will continue to monitor for as long as possible. Many researchers have also experimented and sought to explain the biological mechanism of how these naked mole rats become "immortal".

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