Supermice to pave way for superhuman

London: A so-called supermouse with extraordinary physical capabilities has been created by scientists.

The mouse has incredible stamina, running up to 20 yards a minute for five hours or more without stopping. It also has an envious metabolism, eating 60 per cent more food than an ordinary mouse but not putting on weight.

Add to that a longer life expectancy than usual and an ability to breed for three times as long as a standard mouse.

The technology used to develop the rodent may lead to new drugs or treatments that could "enhance" the natural powers of athletes.

Scientists at Cape Western Reserve University in Ohio, who bred the creature by accident, now have a colony of 500 supermice.

Mouse gene

The animal was developed by genetically modifying a single metabolism gene that is shared with humans. The changes made to the mouse gene appeared to help the animals turn body fat into energy more easily. It also stopped them suffering from a burning sensation in their muscles during exercise when lactic acid builds up.

The best endurance athletes also display that quality. Professor Richard Hanson said: "They are metabolically similar to Lance Armstrong biking up the Pyrenees. In short, they are remarkable animals. They eat twice as much as 'control' mice, but they are half the weight." The results are published for the first time today in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.