TP53 and cancer: Interestingly, the cancer-resistant long-lived blind mole rat, Spalax, has evolved an enhanced necrotic and reduced apoptotic defense (via a dominant negative form of p53) against cancer, possibly to adapt to an oxygen-poor underground environment, which would normally result in extensive p53-mediated cell death.50,51 Whether Spalax p53 contributes to the longevity of this cancer-resistant rodent is not known, but is an exciting possibility under the hypothesis that reduced p53 activity exerts beneficial effects on cellular lifespan if tumor formation is avoided.