When summer takes a vacation and autumn and winter come by and visit, I bring out all five of my thick, fuzzy blankets to keep warm. Although I love winter, it’s freezing at night. On early mornings when I wake up for school, the darkness from the sun rising later makes me sleepy, and getting out of bed is like a cold slap across my skin- I’d be shivering all day.

So whenever I open my eyes, reluctant to pull off my five blankets to greet the day, I think about how great it would be if people could hibernate: a long rest tucked under the covers, up until the cold weather leaves.

Turns out that hibernation wouldn’t really work as a long rest, as there isn’t any evidence yet of hibernation bringing the refreshing feeling we get out of a good rest, but the idea of implementing hibernation methods in our daily lives does come with its benefits. The interesting thing about us being able to hibernate is that it could be the solution to many medical conditions and the gateway for further human space exploration.

 

Extending Time to Treat Hemorrhagic Shock

Take, for instance, hemorrhagic shock–when our bodies lose large amounts of blood and our bodies begin to shut down. The best time to save the life of someone under hemorrhagic shock is during the “golden hour” after the injury, however, chances of survival drop greatly once the hour is over. What if hibernation science can extend the “golden hour”?

As seen in the thirteen-lined ground squirrels that Matt Andrews, a molecular biologist, had been studying, hibernating animals can live through low blood flow and oxygen levels. They also produce more levels of compounds called D-beta hydroxybutyrate and melatonin- important parts to the squirrel’s blood flow and metabolism. Andrews and his colleagues are working on their patented formula of D-beta hydroxybutyrate and melatonin to protect organs experiencing hemorrhagic shock from dying before receiving medical treatment.

 

Providing Immediate Mobility after Bedrest

When we get up after a long flight or sleep in an awkward position, our limbs might feel a bit heavy and lethargic. For people in bedrest, they might need therapy to practice moving their limbs or learning how to walk again because they lose a lot of muscle strength in the period of time spent resting. Unlike us, hibernating animals can avoid predators as soon as they wake, as they are able to protect their muscles. In Andrews’ studies, the thirteen-lined ground squirrels, though they barely move in their five months of hibernation, can “sprint away” upon waking up. In other words, immediate mobility. If this can be implemented to help treat people in bedrest, it can aid in speeding up the therapy and rehabilitation process.

 

Preserving Organs for Transplants

In hospitals, a lot of patients also need necessary organs to live, but there aren’t enough donors. Even with enough donors, many organs don’t last long outside the body, so many patients miss out on receiving transplants. Hibernation science shows potential to aid in preserving organs to last longer before transplants. 

 

Reducing Obesity Rates

In addition to these insights, the ground squirrels have shown another capability of hibernation: reduction of obesity. Like the squirrels, other hibernating animals stop eating and distribute the fat around their bodies to keep warm. The squirrels have a mysterious signal in their brains that tell them when to stop eating once they reach a certain weight, meaning they don’t overeat before hibernating. Through further studies, if the mysterious signal is uncovered, it can help reduce overeating, and even encourage people to eat more.

 

Helping Us Live Longer Lives

We may not discover immortality, but hibernation certainly shows promise in slowing down the aging process and living longer. On average, hibernating animals have been seen to live longer than the non-hibernating animals most similar to their species. When we age, telomeres at the ends of our chromosomes decline as we grow older. Hibernation has been seen to slow down this decline.

 

Having Potential for Other Conditions

During hibernation, once the heart rate and body temperature lowers, blood sugar levels fall, then unexpectedly rise as fast as they fall, indicating that it might be what brings a hibernating animal in or out of its hibernation. Perhaps how animals wake up from hibernation can leave more ideas on how comas work and what can bring someone out of a coma. Lowering and raising blood sugar levels as it occurs in hibernation can be helpful with medical conditions involving blood sugar, like diabetes. There is also a possibility of decreasing the brain damage resulting from injuries to the brain or from heart attacks and strokes with hibernation methods.

Studying Space Exploration

In the future, hibernation can also prove useful in space exploration. We can send robots and equipment to research space, but humans in space can only travel so far. Many things in space can be far away, and take even years to reach. For example, to send people to Mars, which is really far away, understanding and implementing hibernation methods would be necessary..

However, there are still a lot of loopholes to uncover in the science of hibernation, like body temperature. While a hibernating animal’s body temperature can drop extremely low, as humans, we get seriously sick or lose function when our body temperature deviates by a degree or two. While we likely won’t be able to hibernate through whole winters because of such limitations, hibernation certainly demonstrates potential to drastically improve the medicinal field and lead to further progress in space exploration.

written by Saanvi Gutta

edited by Keerthi Selvam and Ananya Balachander

 

REFERENCES:

Hamblin, J. (2020, January 16). You Could Probably Hibernate. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/01/human-hibernation-real-possibility/605071/

Gammon, K. (n.d.). What Can Hibernation Do for Humans? Neo.Life. https://neo.life/2018/10/what-can-hibernation-do-for-humans/

(2017). The Hibernation Equation. Williams Magazine. https://magazine.williams.edu/2017/fall/study/the-hibernation-equation/

(2014, November 21). Hibernation-like state can benefit humans. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/hibernation-like-state-can-benefit-humans-1.2844771

[Human exploration to Mars] [Photograph]. SETI Institute. https://www.seti.org/event/human-exploration-mars-becoming-interplanetary

Organ Transplantation [Graphic]. Let’s Talk Science. https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/backgrounders/organ-transplantation

(2018). [Bedrest set-up in a room] [Photograph]. Design Confetti. https://designconfetti.com/new-blog/the-ultimate-list-of-things-to-do-while-youre-on-bedrest

Roumieu, G. [Person sleeping and animals hibernating] [Illustration]. Neo.Life. https://neo.life/2018/10/what-can-hibernation-do-for-humans/