Naked mole rats are no ordinary lab mice.
The cancer-resistant African rodents can live more than 30 years and are becoming more popular in research laboratories nationwide. Scientists are using the hairless, nearly blind animals to study everything from aging to cancer to strokes.
Bucktoothed with pinkish skin, naked mole rats resemble wrinkled spring rolls with tiny legs. But while they look fragile, naked mole rats are more like tiny, tube-shaped stuntmen.
A study in next month's journal NeuroReport says the brains of adult naked mole rats can withstand oxygen deprivation for a half-hour or more. Scientists say that knowledge could eventually help in stroke research.
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