Naked mole rat’s cells enhances protein integrity

Naked mole rats, which burrow through underground tunnels in their native East Africa, are nearly hairless rodents. They live as long as 32 years. Naked mole rats maintain cancer-free good health and reproductive potential well into their third decade of life. Scientists have reported that a factor in the cells protects and alters the activity of the proteosome. These proteosomes rapidly stop functioning thus lead to accumulation of damaged proteins that further impair cell function that leads to cell death. As a result, protein quality declines and this contributes to the functional declines seen during aging. Enhancement of protein quality, meanwhile, leads to longer life in yeast, worms, fruit flies and naked mole rats.