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Scientists may have found the key to prolonging human life after discovering the genes that give the world's longest lived mammals a lifespan of more than 200 years.

By studying the genetic patterns of the bowhead whale, researchers found the unique genes linked to resisting cancer and repairing DNA damage.

Most mammals die well before reaching the age of 100, but scientists have long tried to understand how bowheads outlive other whales species and avoid illnesses including heart disease and cancer.

Scientists may have discovered the key to prolonging human life after studying the genes of bowhead whales

Separate studies in the UK and America have extensively mapped the whales' genetic patterns and allowed scientists to identify the specific genes linked to longevity. 

Joao Pedro de Magalhaes, lead researcher of the UK-based study says this discovery could lead to the genes being utilised in extending human lives.

The Liverpool University scientist is now seeking funding to insert the genes into mice - and see if it improves their disease resistance. 

'My ideal next experiment is to take a gene from the bowhead whale and put it in a mouse and see if that mouse will live longer and be protected against cancer,' he told the Sunday Times.

'If they do what I expect them to do, then we could try to think of ways to employ the knowledge for [human] therapeutic purposes.'

In October, Harvard Medical School scientists published their findings after also studying the genes of bowheads - with similar results to the UK study. 

Bowheads are the world's longest lived mammals, outliving other whale species, and can live for more than 200 years