Learning from Rufus and his friends

When you hear “naked mole rat,” you might think of Rufus, the naked mole rat in the cartoon “Kimpossible.” Although Rufus is a great cartoon sidekick for Kim and Ron, studying real naked mole rats might just help us find the Fountain of Youth. Although naked mole rats are rodents, just like mice and rats and others, they are very different. For one thing, they live MUCH longer—naked mole rats have lived to be 28 years old! Compare that to mice, which only live a couple of years. They also don’t seem to get cancer—at all—which makes them very unique. Scientists are studying them to try to find out just what makes them live so long and why they seem to be immune to cancer. If they can solve those mysteries, people might be on the way to longer, healthier, cancer-free living. Read more in the New York Times.