For centuries, people believed that bats possessed sinister powers. Bats are thought to be ancestral hosts to many deadly viruses affecting humans including Ebola, rabies, and most recently SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. However, bats themselves tolerate these viruses without ill effects. The second power that bats have is their longevity. Bats live much longer than similar-sized land mammals. Here we review how bats’ ability to control inflammation may be contributing to their longevity. The underlying mechanisms may hold clues to developing new treatments for age-related diseases. Now may be the time to use science to exploit the secret powers of bats for human benefit.

几个世纪以来，人们都相信蝙蝠具有邪恶的力量。蝙蝠被认为是许多影响人类的致命病毒的祖先宿主，包括埃博拉病毒、狂犬病病毒和最近出现的 SARS-CoV-2 冠状病毒。然而，蝙蝠本身可以耐受这些病毒而不会产生不良影响。蝙蝠的第二个力量是它们的长寿。蝙蝠的寿命比体型相似的陆地哺乳动物长得多。在这里，我们回顾了蝙蝠控制炎症的能力如何有助于它们的长寿。潜在的机制可能为开发与年龄有关的疾病的新疗法提供线索。现在可能是时候利用科学来利用蝙蝠的秘密力量造福于人类了。