University of Alberta researchers have discovered a novel drug that unlocks the secret of snail hibernation, allowing them to safely put non-hibernating animal organs into a deep metabolic sleep.
The study, published in Nature Communications, is led by Dr. Evangelos Michelakis, professor in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry and director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI). The breakthrough could have clinical implications ranging from organ transplantation and heart attack care to longevity medicine, or even inducing hibernation in astronauts of ultralong space travel.
"This is the first direct transfer of hibernation biology, which has remained enigmatic for decades, to non-hibernators," Michelakis says. "It could improve the usability of offered organs and the lives of transplant patients and their loved ones."
While hibernating animals naturally resist tissue damage caused by a lack of blood flow (ischemia) and its sudden return (reperfusion), humans are highly vulnerable to these injuries. To bridge this gap, researchers replicated a natural hibernation molecule found in snails to create a drug called SNAP (Snail Activator of PHLPP1). SNAP temporarily manages how cells consume oxygen, safely shielding tissues from stress.
