The naked mole rat and the blind mole rat have developed unique anti-cancer mechanisms compared to other mammals. Mammals typically have several methods, such as inducing apoptosis, releasing cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (bound to CDK complexes) which signal cells to stop within a stage of the cell cycle, and contact inhibition in which cells stop growing once they make contact with each other. These mole rats’ distinct mechanisms modify contact inhibition and apoptosis to achieve the mole rats’ cancer resistance and longevity (Seluanov, et.al., 2009; Gorbunova, et.al., 2012).
The anti-cancer mechanism that the naked mole rat is the use of two types of contact inhibition. Humans and mice generally have one pathway for contact inhibition,
The anti-cancer mechanism that the naked mole rat is the use of two types of contact inhibition. Humans and mice generally have one pathway for contact inhibition,