Can hibernation delay acute illness and improve outcome?

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K18276
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Pioneering)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 55:Surgery of the organs maintaining homeostasis and related fields
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Sunagawa Genshiro 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 生命機能科学研究センター, チームリーダー (70710250)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 休眠 / 冬眠 / 急性疾患 / 医療搬送

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Acute illnesses can result from the body not receiving the necessary energy it requires, and modern medicine aims to restore this compromised energy supply through various treatments. In nature, some animals respond to a lack of food and energy by lowering their energy demands and entering an energy-saving state known as hibernation. If this hibernation state could be applied to humans, it might offer a novel approach to improving survival rates for acute illnesses, differing from current medical treatments. In this study, we demonstrated that inducing a hibernation-like state in mice can have suppressive and protective effects against various acute illnesses. This research highlights the significant potential of developing artificial hibernation techniques for humans.

Free Research Field

冬眠生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

人工冬眠はSFの世界ではおなじみの技術であるが、現実にはいまだ実現していない。本研究は2020年に研究代表らが開発した冬眠しないマウスを冬眠に酷似した状態に誘導できる技術を用いて、人工冬眠の臨床応用の可能性を明確に示したものである。自然界の冬眠は必ず体温低下を伴うが、本研究では体温を36度に保った状態であっても、冬眠様状態により臓器保護が可能であることを示しており、人工冬眠開発の方向性に大きな影響を及ぼしたと言える。