In a discovery that sounds like a science fiction novel, researchers have found that miniature primates native to Madagascar can temporarily reverse cellular aging during hibernation, providing interesting clues to human longevity research.
The obese dwarf lemurs – the burger-sized primate, the closest genetic relative we know to hibernate – suggests that people can unlock biological tricks that humans can only dream of: they can actually prolong telomeres, a protective cap on chromosomes that usually shrink with age.
“The results are in the opposite direction you expect,” said Lydia Greene, a researcher who participated in the study.
Most of us are familiar with the obvious signs of aging – wrinkles, gray hair and reduced mobility. But at the cellular level, aging is partially tracked by telomeres, which work like a plastic tip on the shoelace to prevent wear. These protective caps will naturally shorten each cell division until the cell eventually loses function.
“At first, we thought the data was insufficient,” Green added. But the discovery was a result of Dana Smith of the University of California, San Francisco working in Elizabeth Blackburn’s lab, who shared the 2009 Nobel Prize for discovering how Solomel rebuilds himself.
In this study, conducted by Duke University and the UCSF team, researchers followed 15 dwarf lemurs before, during and after hibernation. They collected cheek swabs to monitor telomeres changes when the animals entered a Torpor state for months.
To simulate winter conditions, the researchers gradually lowered the temperature from 77 degrees Fahrenheit to the mid-50s and provided artificial caves. When awake, one group is provided with food, while the other group does not eat, drink or move for a few months – just like the wild, only fat stored in the tail.
The lemurs who were not affected by food experienced a deeper hibernation, with their heart rate dropping from about 200 times per minute to less than 8 times. They get cool and only breathe about every 10 minutes. It is in this extreme metabolic slowdown that magic happens.
“Extended may be a mechanism to offset any cellular damage that may occur during its periodic reheating phase,” said Marina Blanco, lead author at Duke University.
Like many hibernating animals, dwarf lemurs do not maintain a continuous torpor. They have to warm up about a brief time a week – a process Green described as “really pushing the body to extremes, from zero to 100.”
These metabolic surges are incredible stress on the body, which could explain why lemur cells use telomeres to prolong telomeres as a protective measure. The effect is temporary; two weeks after hibernation, the lemur’s telomeres recovered its prognostic pathway length.
Interestingly, in extreme cases, humans have shown similar telomeres elongation. Researchers have observed the phenomenon that astronauts spend a year on the International Space Station and people living underwater for months.
Cell rejuvenation seems to confer lifespan benefits. While similar-sized non-fired primates (such as Garagos) usually live around 12 or 13 years, the records of lemurs from the fat tower dwarf have been recorded in nearly 30 years, about twice as many.
“Life-life and telomer repairs may be linked, but we are not sure yet,” Blanco warned.
The study showed that lemurs experiencing deeper hibernation showed the greatest length of telomere, while those often “wake up” baits maintained relatively stable telomere lengths.
The study came as human longevity research flourished, with billions of dollars spent on understanding and potentially slowing down the aging process. The modest dwarf lemur may provide valuable insights, although this is an endangered species rarely studied.
The mechanism behind this cellular time travel is not yet known. By expanding telomeres, lemurs can effectively increase the number of times their cells can divide, thereby adding new life to the cells during stress.
Understanding how these small primates naturally expand their telomeres may help researchers develop new ways to prevent or treat age-related diseases in humans – ideally without increasing the risk of cancer associated with uncontrolled cell division.
As humans continue to look for ways to extend healthy lifespan, these sleepy distant cousins in Madagascar may have developed an answer: Sometimes, to live longer, you need to slow down drastically.
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