Naked mole rats are well known for living far longer lives than any rodent ought to have. It’s just one of their amazing talents for surviving in a challenging, even hostile underground environment.

A fascinating new study led by researchers from the University of Rochester in the US has shown a single gene could play a significant role in their longevity, one that could be transferred into other mammals to give their own life spans a nudge.

The gene – a version of what’s known as hyaluranon synthase 2 – produces an abundance of high-molecular-mass hyaluronic acid (HMM-HA), a compound already thought to mediate the risk of cancer in naked mole rats (Heterocephalus glaber).