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Researchers studying long-lived bat species found that they combine unusually powerful immune defenses with distinct cellular strategies for clearing damaged cells, which may help them resist cancer and other age-related diseases for decades. Scientists say unraveling these genetic mechanisms could point toward new approaches for protecting human health during aging. The findings add to a growing body of research using extreme longevity in other species to search for anti-aging strategies applicable to humans, though translating bat biology into human treatments remains a distant goal.