Project description:The naked mole-rat (NMR), Heterocephalus glaber, is a mouse-sized subterranean rodent native to East Africa. Research on NMRs is intensifying in an effort to gain leverage from their unusual physiology, long-life span and cancer resistance for the development of new theraputics. Few studies have attempted to explain the reasons behind the NMR’s cancer resistance, but most prominently Tian et al. reported that NMR cells produce high-molecular weight hyaluronan as a potential cause for the NMR’s cancer resistance. Tian et al. have shown that NMR cells are resistant to transformation by SV40 Large T Antigen (SV40LT) and oncogenic HRAS (HRASG12V), a combination of oncogenes sufficient to transform mouse and rat fibroblasts. We have developed a number of lentiviral vectors to deliver both these oncogenes and generated 106 different cell lines from five different tissues and eleven different NMRs, and report here that contrary to Tian et al.’s observation, NMR cells are susceptible to oncogenic transformation by SV40LT and HRASG12V. Our data thus point to a non-cell autonomous mechanism underlying the remarkable cancer resistance of NMRs. Identifying these non-cell autonomous mechanisms could have significant implications on our understanding of human cancer development.
Project description:Deep sequencing of mRNA from naked mole rat Analysis of ploy(A)+ RNA of different specimens: brain, kidney, liver from new born , 4 years old , 20 years old and 4 years old hypoxia-exposed naked mole rat
Project description:The goal of this analysis is to compare the transcriptome profile (RNA-seq) along different developmental ages in the naked mole rat ovary
Project description:Heathly naked mole-rats kept under normal housing conditions harbor either a small or enlarged spleen. The aim of the study is to compare RNAseq of naked mole-rat (NM-R) small and enlarged spleens between them and to compare them with RNAseq of mouse spleen.
Project description:This study compares the transcriptional response to hypoxia in liver of the hypoxia-tolerant naked mole rat (NMR) and the hypoxia-sensitive rat.
Project description:Abundant high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HMW-HA) contributes to cancer resistance and possibly longevity of the longest-lived rodent, the naked mole-rat1,2. To study whether the benefits of increased HMW-HA could be transferred to other animal species, we generated a transgenic mouse overexpressing naked mole-rat hyaluronic acid synthase 2 gene (nmrHAS2). nmrHAS2 mice showed increase in hyaluronan levels in several tissues, and lower incidence of spontaneous and induced cancer, extended lifespan and improved healthspan. The transcriptome signature of nmrHAS2 mice shifted towards that of longer-lived species. The most striking change observed in nmrHAS2 mice was attenuated inflammation across multiple tissues. HMW-HA reduced inflammation via several pathways including direct immunoregulatory effect on immune cells, protection from oxidative stress, and improved gut barrier function during aging. These findings demonstrate that the longevity mechanism that evolved in the naked mole-rat can be exploited to other species, and open new avenues for using HMW-HA to improve lifespan and healthspan
