The secret to longer life may be hidden in bat DNA
Researchers have analyzed the genomes of Myotis bats to understand their exceptional longevity and resistance to disease. The study suggests that genes associated with immune function and cancer defense are key to their long lifespans.
Why it matters
Understanding the genetic mechanisms of bat longevity could lead to breakthroughs in human medicine, particularly in treating aging-related diseases and cancer.
Some of the best clues to living a long, healthy life may be hidden in the DNA of bats, mammals that can survive for remarkably long periods relative to their body size.
The idea fascinated Juan Manuel Vazquez while he was a graduate student at the University of Chicago. At the time, however, there was little published genomic information about bats that could help answer questions about longevity. After becoming a UC Berkeley postdoctoral fellow in 2020, he began searching across the Western U.S. for bat species that could provide tissue samples for DNA sequencing.
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