The secret to longer life may be hidden in bat DNA

Long-lived bats appear to combine powerful immune defenses with unusual strategies for eliminating damaged cells, potentially helping them avoid cancer and disease for decades. Researchers hope these genetic tricks could eventually reveal new ways to protect human health during aging. The secret to longer life may be hidden in bat DNA.

The secret to longer life may be hidden in bat DNA Science News from research organizations The secret to longer life may be hidden in bat DNA Long-lived bats may reveal genetic secrets for fighting cancer, resisting disease, and staying healthier for longer. 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 an 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. With help from Berkeley undergraduates, Vazquez traveled throughout the region, setting up mist nets over streams, ponds and rivers at night.

The team captured bats, collected small biopsy samples and released the animals.