The secret of whales' long lives

Whales live a very long time, on average around 70 years (depending on the species) but they can even reach 200 years, as in the case of the Bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus).

Scientists have offered several answers to explain whales' longevity, starting with the so-called Peto paradox: many trillions of cells, but few tumors, and an extraordinary resistance to cancer. Furthermore, whales have a relatively low metabolism compared to their enormous body mass, significantly reducing cellular stress (which damages much more slowly) and the production of deadly free radicals.

But a very recent study (dating back to November 2025), published on the Nature magazine, delves deeper into the causes of whale longevity and links them to the protein CIRBP (Cold-Inducible RNA-Binding Protein), which helps repair damaged DNA and protect cells, activated precisely by cold. Whale cells with high levels of CIRBP repair DNA with greater accuracy and fidelity, thus reducing the accumulation of mutations that normally leads to cellular aging and cancer.

So far, so whales. But the most interesting part of the research concerns humans, and future studies, already underway, will reveal whether it's possible to find ways to naturally increase CIRBP in humans (for example, through temperature changes or specific drugs). And whether effective DNA repair can improve health throughout human life, and whether other modulators of DNA repair can influence the aging process. If so, the CIRBP protein could be used to develop treatments against aging in human cells.

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