A naked mole-rat, though far from pretty, may hold the key to defeating modern world’s plague – cancer.

The rodent never gets cancer thanks to skin cells, high in a natural sugary substance that stops tumours developing.

The findings could lead to new human cancer therapies in the long term, researchers report in Nature journal.

A similar version of the chemical is used as a medicine to treat arthritis and in anti-wrinkle jabs.

A team led by researchers from the University of Rochester, New York, US, investigated the anti-cancer properties of the naked mole-rat.

Unlike other small rodents, such as rats and mice, the curious creature does not get cancer in later life.

The US team, led by Andrei Seluanov and Vera Gorbunova, cultured skin cells from the rodent in the laboratory.

They found that the animal's tissues were rich in high molecular weight hyaluronan (HMW-HA), a gooey sugar that is involved in tissue repair.

Similar versions of the substance are licensed to relieve pain in arthritis and are used as cosmetic fillers to treat wrinkles, say the researchers.

Experiments show that when HMW-HA is removed from naked mole-rat cells, they become susceptible to cancer, suggesting it plays a role in making the rodent "cancer-proof".

Dr Gorbunova told BBC News: "Studying animals that are naturally cancer-resistant can be very rewarding and can lead to discovery of mechanisms that can benefit humans in terms of treatment and prevention of cancer."

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