A groundbreaking study has shed light on the remarkable evolutionary adaptations that have allowed bats to excel in the realms of both surviving infections and evading cancer. Bats, the sole members of the mammalian world capable of flight, have emerged as extraordinary creatures due to their unique genetic makeup.
Unlike other mammals, bats stand out for their impressive lifespans, incredibly low cancer rates, and robust immune systems. These extraordinary attributes are deeply rooted in their genetic code, reflecting a rapid and distinctive evolutionary trajectory.
The ability of bats to not only harbor but also withstand viral infections appears to be linked to peculiar features within their innate immune responses. These traits hold significant promise for advancing our understanding of human health, particularly in the realms of virus treatment and cancer prevention.
For instance, delving into the intricacies of the bat immune system that grant them this remarkable tolerance to viral infections could pave the way for more effective disease prevention strategies, bridging the gap between animal and human health. By dissecting the comparative genomics of bats and other mammals that are more susceptible to cancer, researchers may eventually unravel the underlying causes of cancer and the intricate connections between cancer and the immune system.
It’s important to note that the insights derived from studying bats and other organisms serve as a complementary approach to the traditional mouse models commonly employed in research. While mice are more amenable to experimental manipulation, they often lack key characteristics relevant to human disease, making bats a promising avenue for discovering novel insights.
In a recent publication featured in Genome Biology and Evolution by Oxford University Press, researchers utilized cutting-edge technology in the form of the Oxford Nanopore Technologies long-read platform. They combined this with bat samples collected with assistance from the American Museum of Natural History in Belize, allowing them to sequence the genomes of two distinct bat species—the Jamaican fruit bat and the Mesoamerican mustached bat.
This ambitious endeavor was spearheaded by scientists from the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, who conducted an exhaustive comparative genomic analysis spanning a diverse spectrum of bats and other mammals. Their findings unveiled genetic adaptations present in six DNA repair-related proteins and 46 cancer-related proteins specific to bats—proteins that have previously been identified as cancer suppressors.
Remarkably, the study revealed that these altered cancer-related genes were enriched by more than two-fold in the bat group compared to other mammals, highlighting the distinctive and potent genetic arsenal that bats have developed in their ongoing battle against cancer.
“By generating these new bat genomes and comparing them to other mammals we continue to find extraordinary new adaptations in antiviral and anticancer genes,” said Armin Scheben, the paper’s lead author.
“These investigations are the first step towards translating research on the unique biology of bats into insights relevant to understanding and treating aging and diseases, such as cancer, in humans.”
Established in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is a non-profit organization boasting a rich legacy of eight Nobel Prize laureates. The institution is dedicated to advancing biomedical research and education, offering specialized programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology, and quantitative biology. It receives funding from esteemed sources such as the National Institutes of Health and the Simons Center for Quantitative Biology.
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