Hibernation for humans? Scientists are one step away from a breakthrough
People are fascinating creatures with enormous potential, but they also have their limitations. They are visible, for example, in space travel. Scientists, however, would like to meet these limits and are working on how to force the human body into hibernation. This could lead to a breakthrough in space flight.
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We take inspiration from bats
A team of scientists led by Gerald Kerth from the University of Greifswald is taking a closer look at hibernation patterns known in nature and trying to figure out how to put humans into this state. Red blood cells may play a key role here. They undergo significant changes as the internal temperature decreases (from 37.7 to 23.4 degrees C) of hibernating animal species. The structure of erythrocytes (red blood cells) has become less flexible and more viscous, and according to scientists, this is evidence that this is how the animals’ bodies save energy in cold conditions.
One of the most flexible species when it comes to adaptation are bats, which can even reduce their temperature to 10 degrees Celsius, but at this threshold the reaction of human red blood cells already disappeared. This is currently an obstacle that prevents the awakening of hibernation in humans.
Kerth believes that understanding how to manipulate the properties of human red blood cells is the key to understanding how to put the human body into hibernation.
Completing this process will not only contribute to hibernation for space travel, but may also be useful in certain surgeries where controlled hypothermia is induced to temporarily stop brain function, e.g.
