Resilience to cardiac aging in Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus
Posted on: 17 February 2026 , updated on: 19 February 2026
Preprint posted on 23 December 2025
Greenland sharks and the Quest for cardiac immortality! The authors of this study characterize the aging profile of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus), to evaluate their resilience to cardiac aging, offering insights about longevity.
Selected by Theodora Stougiannou
Categories: cell biology, ecology, physiology, zoology
Greenland sharks and the Quest for cardiac immortality
Figure 1 ‘[Resilience to cardiac aging in Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus]’ Study Summary/ [Created in BioRender. Stougiannou, T. (2026) https://BioRender.com/nzq2ic6] [Heart illustration by Theodora M Stougiannou/Procreate]
The life of a shark:
Sharks are a fascinating species of fish, classified along with other cartilaginous fishes in the class Chondrichthyes; as the name suggests, fishes in this class possess a cartilaginous skeleton, as opposed to the bony skeleton identified in Osteichthyes, the so-called bony fishes [1]. Amongst the various shark species, the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) can reach sizes of up to 7 meters and can be identified by its relatively large and heavy-set body as well as slow movement (average cruising speed of ~ 0.3 m/s with ~ 9 tail beats/min). It is also characterized by its long life, with a maximum reported lifespan of up to 500 years [2].
The heart of the matter:
As with all Chondrichthyes, the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) exhibits a heart with two cardiac chambers, comprising a sinus venosus which receives deoxygenated blood, an atrium, a ventricle and an outflow tract. These chambers will then direct blood to the gills, where it will be oxygenated and then allowed to circulate throughout the shark body. The ventricle is characteristic of an animal with low activity, with a rigid, collagenous pericardium surrounding the myocardium; a well-developed coronary artery network, supplying oxygen and nutrients to the myocardium can also be identified.
What are the authors looking at?
The study by Chiavacci and team seeks to characterize the aging profile of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) and compare it with that of the deep-sea shark (Etmopterus spinax) commonly known as the velvet belly lanternshark, as well as another teleost species, Nothobranchius furzeri also known as African turquoise killifish. This is done in an effort to uncover some of the “secrets” behind the animal’s long life. Six animals were captured as part of the study, with heart samples collected post-mortem, from the mid-way between the apex and base of the cardiac ventricle.
Key aspects of the study:
- Widespread fibrosis throughout the ventricular myocardium (interstitial, perivascular fibrosis) of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus):
-
- This is not a tissue trait that results from the deep-sea environment, as the myocardium of the deep-sea shark (Etmopterus spinax) did not exhibit fibrosis.
- This is also likely a characteristic specific to the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) and not a general phenomenon due to increased age in fish, as the myocardium of aging African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) exhibited focal collagen-rich fibrotic scars due to localized injury.
- Widespread deposition of lipofuscin throughout the cardiomyocyte and across all myocardial layers (compact, spongy); lipofuscin is an autofluorescent, yellow-brown pigment composed of cross-linked oxidized proteins, lipids and metals. Lipofuscin can accumulate within cells over time and is considered a hallmark of aging.
-
- The difference in lipofuscin quantification between the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) and the deep-sea shark (Etmopterus spinax) was statistically significant.
- In the aging African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri), lipofuscin accumulates mainly in the extracellular spaces with age; this is similar to what occurs in mice hearts as well.
- Widespread accumulation of autophagosomes which, along with numerous lysosomes, were embedded within a network of mitochondria. These too (in the case of degenerating mitochondria) were in the process of engulfment by autophagosomes.
- Widespread accumulation of 3-Nitrotyrosine (3-NT) across all myocardial layers (compact, spongy):
-
- No such accumulations could be observed in the myocardium of the deep-sea shark (Etmopterus spinax).
- 3-NT also accumulates in the tissues of other species of aging fish, including the African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri); the pattern of accumulation of 3-NT in the cardiomyocytes of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) is comparable to that observed in the African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri).
Why this work is interesting:
Despite cardiac tissues of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) exhibiting pathophysiological hallmarks of age-related remodeling, even in relatively young animals that have not yet reached maximum size, the individual animals appear healthy overall. This highlights the mechanism with which the species can withstand the passage of time; it is the resilience of a system, capable of reverting to its physiological state after a disruption. That is, though a disruption has occurred, the system still continues to function as normal.
References
[1] Inoue JG, Miya M, Lam K, Tay B-H, Danks JA, Bell J, et al. Evolutionary Origin and Phylogeny of the Modern Holocephalans (Chondrichthyes: Chimaeriformes): A Mitogenomic Perspective. Mol Biol Evol 2010;27:2576–86. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msq147.
[2] Chiavacci E, Steffensen KF, Delaroche P, Astoricchio E, Poulsen AB, Brayson D, et al. Resilience to cardiac aging in Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus 2025:2025.12.20.695706. https://doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.20.695706.
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