Hibernation is a state of reduced metabolic activity used by some animals to survive in harsh environmental conditions. The idea of exploiting hibernation for space exploration has been proposed many years ago, but in recent years it is becoming more realistic, thanks to the introduction of specific methods to induce hibernation-like conditions (synthetic torpor) in non-hibernating animals. In addition to the expected advantages in long-term exploratory-class missions in terms of resource consumptions, aging, and psychology, hibernation may provide protection from cosmic radiation damage to the crew. Data from over half century ago in animal models suggest indeed that radiation effects are reduced during hibernation. We will review the mechanisms of increased radioprotection in hibernation, and discuss possible impact on human space exploration.
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Hibernating brown bears, due to a drastic reduction in metabolic rate, show only moderate muscle wasting. Here, we evaluate if ATPase activity of resting skeletal muscle myosin can contribute to this energy sparing. By analyzing single muscle fibers taken from the same bears, either during hibernation or in summer, we find that fibers from hibernating bears have a mild decline in force production and a significant reduction in ATPase activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiopreservation Beyond the Biosphere: Exploring the Ethical, Legal & Social Implications of Suspended Animation in Space.
J Law Med Ethics
December 2024
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA.
In the evolving field of advanced biopreservation technologies, the development of suspended animation (SA) is inspired by real-world challenges. In the context of space exploration, SA is seen as a solution to enable humans to undertake missions far beyond low Earth orbit, including routine travel to other planets in our solar system and beyond. While work on the socio-ethical and legal implications (ELSI) of space exploration continues to evolve, NASA has committed to make ethics a priority issue, making this a fruitful field for further examination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThermomechanical properties of bat and human red blood cells-Implications for hibernation.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
October 2024
Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald 17489, Germany.
Hibernation is a widespread and highly efficient mechanism to save energy in mammals. However, one major challenge of hibernation is maintaining blood circulation at low body temperatures, which strongly depends on the viscoelastic properties of red blood cells (RBCs). Here, we examined at physiologically relevant timescales the thermomechanical properties of hundreds of thousands of individual RBCs from the hibernating common noctule bat (), the nonhibernating Egyptian fruit bat (), and humans ().
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdvancements in Understanding the Hide-and-Seek Strategy of Hibernating Breast Cancer Cells and Their Implications in Oncology from a Broader Perspective: A Comprehensive Overview.
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- Breast cancer is still a big problem even with new technology, and many patients fear it might come back.
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O-GlcNAcylation of SERCA protects skeletal muscle in hibernating Spermophilus dauricus from disuse atrophy.
Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol
January 2025
Lab for Bone Metabolism, Key Lab for Space Biosciences and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China; Research Center for Special Medicine and Health Systems Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China; NPU-UAB Joint Laboratory for Bone Metabolism, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China. Electronic address:
Long-term inactivity of skeletal muscle results in muscular disuse atrophy; however, hibernating animals do not experience muscular disuse atrophy during the hibernation period. The molecular mechanism underlining the anti-atrophy effect in these animals is unclear. O-linked N acetyl-β-D-glucosaminylation (O-GlcNAcylation) and its effect on cell signaling pathways are important mechanisms underlying muscular disuse atrophy; thus, in this study, we investigated O-GlcNAcylation changes during hibernation in Spermophilus dauricus to explore the role of O-GlcNAcylation in the muscle disuse atrophy resistance of hibernating animals.
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