Bats are full of surprises. Not only can they fly and live longer than most animals their size, but new research has revealed another superpower—they almost never get cancer.
A team of scientists at the University of Rochester has discovered how bats manage to stay cancer-free for decades, and their findings may help scientists develop better ways to prevent or treat cancer in humans.
The study, recently published in Nature Communications, focused on four species of bats, including the “little brown bat” found in upstate New York.
Some of these bats live up to 35 years—equivalent to about 180 human years—without showing signs of cancer.
That’s especially impressive considering that the longer an organism lives, the higher the risk of developing cancer due to accumulating damage in cells.
Dr. Vera Gorbunova and Dr. Andrei Seluanov, both biology professors at the University of Rochester and researchers at the Wilmot Cancer Institute, led the study.
They found that bats have several powerful tools in their biology that help protect them from cancer, starting with a gene called p53.
This gene is known to prevent cancer by detecting damaged cells and triggering their self-destruction before they can become harmful.
While humans have one copy of p53, the little brown bat has two, and these copies are much more active.
This boosts the bat’s ability to wipe out dangerous cells quickly, reducing the risk of tumors forming.
Another key feature is a special enzyme called telomerase, which keeps bat cells young and helps them regenerate after injury. In humans, this enzyme becomes less active with age, leading to aging and cell damage.
In bats, however, it stays active for much longer. Normally, this could cause cells to divide uncontrollably—one of the hallmarks of cancer—but bats’ powerful p53 gene acts as a safety net, removing any cells that might go rogue.
Bats also have remarkably strong immune systems that can fight off both deadly viruses and cancer cells. And they manage inflammation much better than humans, even as they age. Since chronic inflammation is linked to diseases like cancer, bats’ ability to keep it under control is another reason for their resilience.
The researchers emphasize that bats are not entirely immune to cancer—technically, their cells can become cancerous with just two genetic mutations. But thanks to their other defenses, those mutated cells rarely get the chance to grow.
This discovery gives scientists new ideas for fighting cancer in humans. Boosting p53 activity or safely increasing telomerase could one day lead to better treatments. While more research is needed, the biology of bats may eventually help us live longer, healthier lives.
Gorbunova and Seluanov have long studied long-lived animals like naked mole rats and whales. Now, their work with bats may add another piece to the puzzle of why some creatures resist disease—and how we might learn from them.
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