New study of naked mole rats’ cancer resistance sparks row

Cambridge team say 2013 study was flawed and rarity of tumours in rodents still unexplained

With a hairless, wrinkly body, a whopping pair of front teeth and tiny eyes, the naked mole rat might seem an unusual creature to fight over, but a row has erupted among scientists over what might be its most unusual feature: a striking resistance to cancer.

The burrowing rodents, native to east Africa and described by one expert as resembling a sabre-toothed sausage, have long fascinated researchers.