New Hibernation Technique Might Work on Humans

www.livescience.com...

A new trick could one day put humans into a hibernation-like state without all the frigid antics of an Austin Powers movie or an Arthur C. Clarke story.

Using a natural chemical humans and other animals produce in their bodies, scientists have for the first time induced hibernation in mammals, putting mice into a state similar to suspended animation for up to six hours and then bringing them back to normal life.

The breakthrough suggests humans along with other mammals might harbor a mostly unused ability to hibernate on demand. Further research into the phenomenon could lead to medical advances, such as buying time for humans awaiting an organ transplant, scientists said.

"We are, in essence, temporarily converting mice from warm-blooded to cold-blooded creatures, which is exactly the same thing that happens naturally when mammals hibernate," said lead researcher Mark Roth of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

During the induced hibernation, cells virtually stopped working, reducing the rodents' need for oxygen.

"We think this may be a latent ability that all mammals have – potentially even humans – and we're just harnessing it and turning it on and off, inducing a state of hibernation on demand," Roth said.

just thought you science lovers would love this...

ENJOY!!!

wow.. thats incredible.. too bad its only on mice and only for six hours lol....

but seriously... how long do you think they REALLY had this technology before it got released to the general public...

interesting nevertheless.

Originally posted by ivanglam
wow.. thats incredible.. too bad its only on mice and only for six hours lol....

but seriously... how long do you think they REALLY had this technology before it got released to the general public...

interesting nevertheless.

TRUE...

but, this is the ONLY way to get to real "deep space"...

you know, some galaxies we want to "visit" are 100 light years away...

how many lifetimes is this???

you know, some galaxies we want to "visit" are 100 light years away...

Galaxies? The nearest Galaxy is something like a million light years away! But some interesting stars are in the 100 light year range, got too start somewhere I suppose!

I've had some class assignments that threatened to put ME into hibernation for a few hours.

Tempting, though. The idea of getting real, deep sleep... mmm.

deep space 8)
sick people 8)
cancer maybe 8) if all normal body cells shut down and because canser cells dont mind what the body is saying they will stay awake then pump them will cancer drugs the other cells will not exorbe the drugs and all the drugs will be exorbed by the cancer killing the cancer leaving the body unharmed.

people that want to see what the world will be like in 50 years. 8)

older people hoping that they can live long enough that humans can reach immortality 8)

Sub crews - can take people along and if they are not needed they can be put to sleep tell they are needed.

long trips - ship people in the mail. make specal contaners put people in them and ship them around the world don't need air fair if you can bulk see ship people.

war - transport masses of troops by sea, put them all to sleep then wake them up when they get there, save lots of supplys.

famin or disaster or plague/bio weapon - put masses of people to sleep and then wake them up when the danger has passed. 1 life support pod with a single chem/bio weapons filter and a feeding tube/ iv drip to keep them alive could keep them a sleep indefently. incase the support crew have died or left the pod has battary back up and wakes up the person insided if the power fails or runs out of water/nutriants/ airfilter goes bad.

You'll never guess what chemical they use to put mice in suspended animation.
Hydrogen sulphide the chemical that makes eggs and stink bombs smell foul. Thats incredible!

haha, there is always something clever that can be done, with things that we just mess about with

Still though this is an interesting article

shadarlocoth
a feeding tube/ iv drip to keep them alive

Actually they wouldn't need that, its like a deep hibernation...they dont put you in a coma. Like how bears can sleep for months.

well bears dont eat for months and have to fatten up so they dont wast away while they sleep. So unless you want people to put on 150-200 pounds before a long space flight so they dont have to eat then i would be nesseasary if you wanted anything over a few months. We are talking years and years of hibernation.

Sounds Great...

I wish it was availible now, i could do with a nice long undesturbed sleep.

Great acticle, thanks for showing us.

Originally posted by shadarlocoth
well bears dont eat for months and have to fatten up so they dont wast away while they sleep. So unless you want people to put on 150-200 pounds before a long space flight so they dont have to eat then i would be nesseasary if you wanted anything over a few months. We are talking years and years of hibernation.

Technically if they could induce a complete state of suspended animation (hibernating) the body would need no oxygen, simply something to wake the body and all the cells back up. Its a good theory, cells won't die because they are taking in nothing and still putting nothing out.

Hopefully something bad doesn't get in with you and start eating flesh. ewww

Originally posted by shadarlocoth
well bears dont eat for months and have to fatten up so they dont wast away while they sleep. So unless you want people to put on 150-200 pounds before a long space flight so they dont have to eat then i would be nesseasary if you wanted anything over a few months. We are talking years and years of hibernation.

Bears also do not have IV technology. Just feed em through tubes. Easy enough, and convientient as the passengers don't have to deal with the taste of the inflight food

THATS AWSOME! I want to be in suspended animation! I want to wake up in a thousand years and deliver packages around the universe like Fry

Of course, the fun way to go into deep space is to send 40 people, 20 males and 20 females. Have em raise a civilization and by the time you're there, BAM! You've got humans at the other end.

This is a really awesome advancement, I had no idea we were even this close. I wonder how much the mice actually aged, whether it was much different from the six hours or not. I'd definitely hibernate for the next few hours, maybe I can get out of my cedar...

This falls under the category of "amazing things we'e bound to have but will cause huge problems for the earth." Unless it's restricted, we'll have all these people going to sleep and waking up in 500 years for the hell of it = not good (unless it's me).

Originally posted by shadarlocoth
well bears dont eat for months and have to fatten up so they dont wast away while they sleep. So unless you want people to put on 150-200 pounds before a long space flight so they dont have to eat then i would be nesseasary if you wanted anything over a few months. We are talking years and years of hibernation.

yeah...I kinda said that all wrong...but TheJeSta got it right.