MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Andrea Bodnar, Ph.D., Science Director Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute (GMGI) MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? How does gene expression differ in the red sea urchin from humans?  Why is this animal not susceptible to age-related deterioration? Response: The red sea urchin is one of the earth’s longest-lived animals, living for more than 100 years without showing signs of aging. These animals grow and reproduce throughout their lives and show no increase in mortality rate or incidence of disease with age. This includes no reported cases of neoplastic disease, like cancer. To begin to understand the cellular mechanisms underpinning this extraordinary life history this study investigated gene expression patterns in the tissues of young and old red sea urchins. (more…)