Bats, the only mammals capable of true flight, have fascinated scientists for their extraordinary traits, including an extended lifespan relative to their size and an unparalleled resistance to viruses like COVID-19 and Ebola. This resilience against infections and cancer has long puzzled researchers, and recent findings from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) point to the genetic underpinnings of this phenomenon.
CSHL Professors W. Richard McCombie and Adam Siepel, along with postdoc Armin Scheben, teamed up with Nancy Simmons from the American Museum of Natural History to delve into the genomes of the Jamaican fruit bat and Mesoamerican mustached bat. By comparing these genomes to those of other mammals, including humans, they made a groundbreaking discovery.
EVOLUTION OF BAT GENOMES
Their research revealed that the rapid evolution of bat genomes has streamlined their genetic makeup to enhance immunity against infections and to maintain a low cancer risk. Bats have a unique immune system response, as McCombie notes, “Bats have a number of very unusual things about them. They don’t respond to infections the way we do. In retrospect, it’s not surprising this difference in the immune system may be involved in both aging and cancer response.”
The key insight lies in the genes governing the immune system. Bats have reduced the alarm of their immune system by shedding genes responsible for producing interferon-alpha, a crucial component in the body’s defence against infections. This adaptation may be responsible for their remarkable viral tolerance and the prevention of overactive immune responses that can harm healthy tissue.
BAT GENOMES
Moreover, the researchers discovered that bat genomes have more alterations in genes linked to cancer when compared to other mammals. These include genes that repair DNA and those that suppress tumours, hinting at a deep connection between immunity and cancer resistance. As Scheben notes, “The same immune genes and proteins play important roles in cancer resistance.”
The next phase of their research involves examining how these immune genes are regulated and expressed in different parts of the bat’s body. This work not only sheds light on the intricate relationship between immunity, aging, and cancer but also holds the promise of eventually leading to improved treatments for these conditions.
As Siepel states, “There’s still a lot of unknowns. Ultimately, we’ll take the work as far as we can and hand off the baton to experts in disease to work toward developing drugs or other therapeutics.” This research could offer vital insights into enhancing human health and tackling challenging diseases in the future.
