Key points from article :
Blind mole rats live longer than other small creatures because they have short immune memory.
Longevity of a species is related to its body size—mice, birds and rats have relatively short lifespans.
Elephants, big cats and humans tend to live much longer.
But several species of blind mole rats live for 20 or more years and do not develop cancerous tumors.
T-cells and B-cells are associated with long-term memory of the immune system.
Due to this trait, humans can become immune to certain diseases after initial infection.
Found very few T or B cells in blind mole rats, which suggested that they tend not to have long-term immune memory.
Less prone to the types of inflammation response.
Chronic inflammation has been associated in some cases with the development of cancerous tumors.
Number of spare parts associated with immune bodies did not decrease with age in the blind mole rats.
Research published in the Journal Nature Aging.
