Overview
- University of Rochester researchers report bowhead whales express CIRBP at roughly 100-fold higher levels than other mammals in a Nature study.
- Introducing bowhead CIRBP improved double-strand DNA break repair in human cell cultures, while fruit flies lived longer and showed greater resistance to irradiation.
- Lowering temperature by a few degrees increased CIRBP production in cells, hinting at a link to the whales’ cold Arctic environment.
- The team found bowhead cells are less likely to accumulate oncogenic hits even though they need fewer hits to transform, addressing a key facet of Peto’s Paradox.
- Scientists plan preclinical animal tests to probe safety and efficacy, as external experts describe the findings as compelling but emphasize that human applications remain speculative.