Overview
- University of Rochester researchers report bowhead whales carry CIRBP at about 100 times the levels seen in other mammals.
- Introducing bowhead CIRBP improved DNA repair in human cell cultures and increased lifespan and radiation resistance in fruit flies.
- Experiments found bowhead fibroblasts require fewer oncogenic hits to become cancerous yet accumulate fewer such hits, pointing to superior genome maintenance.
- Cooling cells by a few degrees boosted CIRBP production, aligning with observations of the protein’s cold responsiveness.
- Scientists are exploring ways to raise CIRBP in humans, but they emphasize that any health applications remain speculative and untested.