Bat Longevity Genes Hold Clues to Fighting Cancer and Viruses in Humans
- Genetic adaptations allowing bats to resist viruses and slow aging are deeply linked, according to new research published in the journal Nature.
- Bats stand out as the longest-lived mammals relative to their body size.
- According to Juan Manuel Vazquez, a study author at the University of California, Berkeley, and an assistant professor at Penn State University, these creatures have evolved an incredible...
Genetic adaptations allowing bats to resist viruses and slow aging are deeply linked, according to new research published in the journal Nature. Scientists studying mouse-eared bats found that the same evolutionary shifts handling pathogens also govern lifespan and cancer defense, potentially offering a roadmap for human medicine.
An Evolutionary Link Between Longevity and Disease Resistance
Bats stand out as the longest-lived mammals relative to their body size. Their lifespans stretch up to 42 years in species like the Brandt’s bat (Myotis brandtii).
According to Juan Manuel Vazquez, a study author at the University of California, Berkeley, and an assistant professor at Penn State University, these creatures have evolved an incredible capacity to deal with disease and prevent cancer.
Mapping Genomes Across Dozens of Species
Vazquez traveled to capture, biopsy, and release different species of bats. In the process, he amassed cell cultures from 259 individuals across 32 species to map their genomes.
By sequencing high-quality genetic maps for eight different species, researchers identified specific biological mechanisms used to survive.
According to the study, the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) features an enhanced ability to clear out damaged cells before causing harm.
Furthermore, most Myotis species have evolved extra copies of an immune factor called PKR to fight a wider range of viruses. This breaks the standard mammalian pattern where only a single copy exists.
Tolerance Over Resistance Against Pathogens
Unlike humans and most other mammals that rely on resistance to eliminate pathogens, bats utilize viral tolerance.
According to researchers, bats suppress the damaging inflammation and cellular stress that would normally kill other mammals. This allows viruses to reside safely within them.
For RNA viruses responsible for human outbreaks like COVID-19, bats adapt by changing the number of immune genes and evolving extra copies to broaden their defense.
Divergent Adaptations to DNA and RNA Viruses
The genome comparisons revealed a distinct evolutionary split. While primates and rodents adapt proteins to meet RNA viruses, bats show adaptation in proteins dealing with DNA viruses such as hepatitis B and herpes viruses.
Elise Lauterbur, an assistant professor of evolutionary biology at the University of Vermont and co-lead author, noted that these biological problems are often studied separately, but the results suggest evolution shapes them together.
A New Framework for Human Medicine
Because bats have developed natural solutions to cellular decay and tumor suppression, they provide a new framework for managing similar processes in humans.
Vazquez noted that researchers do not necessarily need to view aging and infections as entirely separate fields.
By understanding how bats maintain their immune systems over decades, science may eventually find ways to prevent human immunity from declining in old age or exhausting itself under chronic stress.