Cuvier’s beaked whale – can a whale from the depths help develop therapies for cancer and stroke?

Cuvier’s beaked whale is the queen of the ocean depths, whose record-breaking dives fascinate both biologists and doctors. Scientific research has shown that the cells of this whale can function even in conditions of almost complete oxygen deprivation. This phenomenon may help in developing new therapies for stroke and cancer, where hypoxia plays a key role. American researchers believe that solutions hidden in nature may transform the future of medicine.

Cuvier’s beaked whale – a whale with records

Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), also known as Cuvier’s beaked whale, is a marine mammal that breaks diving records. It has been recorded staying underwater for 222 minutes and descending to nearly 3,000 meters. Such achievements are unmatched among animals, and each record confirms how extraordinary its physiology is.

This species avoids contact with humans and for a long time remained a mystery. Only thanks to modern monitoring methods has it been possible to document its deep-sea behaviors. These observations sparked research into the whale’s remarkable resistance of cells to oxygen deprivation, which now fascinates both marine biologists and medical specialists.

The secret of cells resistant to oxygen deprivation

Groundbreaking studies conducted at Duke University in North Carolina analyzed skin samples taken from live individuals. In laboratory conditions, the whale’s cells were exposed to extreme oxygen shortage. To the researchers’ surprise, their mitochondria continued to produce energy, whereas in land mammals – humans and cattle – cells under the same conditions quickly stopped functioning.

This means that the whale has developed defense mechanisms that allow its tissues to survive long periods without oxygen. Researchers point to changes in gene expression related to metabolism and mitochondrial stability. As a result, biochemical processes do not shut down abruptly, which in medicine may prove crucial in saving lives during a stroke.

Cuvier’s beaked whale and the medicine of the future

Hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, underlies many serious diseases. In stroke, it leads to massive neuron death, resulting in irreversible damage. In cancer, tumor cells often function in low-oxygen environments, which hinders treatment and promotes resistance to therapy.

If these mechanisms can be transferred into medicine, it may become possible to develop therapies that protect neurons from dying. They could also help in better controlling tumor growth.

Adaptations that amaze scientists

The ability to survive without oxygen is only part of the extraordinary adaptations of Cuvier’s beaked whale. Its muscles contain exceptionally high concentrations of myoglobin – a protein that stores oxygen. This protein has a positive electric charge, which prevents it from clumping together even in large quantities, allowing the whale to accumulate vast reserves of oxygen, explains Michael Berenbrink from the University of Liverpool.

Researchers from the University of St. Andrews also explain that during a dive, the whale’s heart rate slows and blood is directed mainly to the brain and heart, reducing energy use in less vital organs. Additionally, a flexible rib cage protects against decompression sickness, while collapsed lungs prevent nitrogen from dissolving in the blood. Each of these mechanisms also inspires research into how natural survival strategies can be used in extreme conditions.

From the ocean to the clinic

Although the research is still at an early stage, the direction is clear – the body of Cuvier’s beaked whale may become a model for life-saving therapies. If scientists succeed in fully understanding and, most importantly, replicating the processes taking place in its mitochondria, there is a chance to develop new drugs that delay cell death during stroke or reduce the aggressiveness of tumors. The remarkable story of this whale from the depths shows that what may seem like just a natural curiosity could one day change the face of medicine.

---

Sources:

National Geographic (2025). The deepest-diving whales could inspire new treatments for stroke and cancer

National Geographic (2013). How Diving Mammals Stay Underwater for So Long

Hooker, S. K., & Baird, R. W. (2011). Physiological and behavioural gas kinetics in diving marine mammals. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. PMC

Natural History Museum (2022). Secrets of the deepest diving whales. NHM UK

Fernández, A. et al. (2017). How whales avoid decompression sickness. Frontiers for Young Minds. Frontiers