The secret of the whale that lives over 200 years lies in a protein
The bowhead whale repairs its DNA better than any other mammal.
The bowhead whale can live more than two centuries without often getting cancer. Its secret seems to be repairing its DNA very well.
With a maximum lifespan of over 200 years and a weight of more than 80,000 kilos, the bowhead whale is a puzzle: it has huge numbers of cells and should accumulate more mutations, yet it is not especially prone to cancer. This is known as Peto's paradox.
Vera Gorbunova and Andrei Seluanov's team at the University of Rochester compared cells from this whale with those of humans, mice and cows. Surprise: whale cells needed fewer genetic alterations to turn malignant than human cells. But they repaired DNA double-strand breaks more efficiently and accurately, and had fewer mutations.
The key appears to be CIRBP, a cold-activated protein abundant in its tissues. Adding the whale version to human cells improved two DNA repair pathways and reduced chromosomal damage; in fruit flies, it extended lifespan and improved radiation resistance. Rather than eliminating damaged cells, the whale repairs them faithfully.
Key facts
- Maximum lifespan over 200 years; weight over 80,000 kg.
- CIRBP enhances the NHEJ and homologous recombination repair pathways.
- In flies, more CIRBP meant longer lives.
- Published in Nature in December 2025.
The authors suggest this strategy could inspire ways to protect human DNA against aging.
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