Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Circ Res. 2012 Mar 30;110(7):915-21. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.111.255398.
Evolution has provided a number of animal species with extraordinary phenotypes. Several of these phenotypes allow species to survive and thrive in environmental conditions that mimic disease states in humans. The study of evolved mechanisms responsible for these phenotypes may provide insights into the basis of human disease and guide the design of new therapeutic approaches. Examples include species that tolerate acute or chronic hypoxemia like deep-diving mammals and high-altitude inhabitants, as well as those that hibernate and interrupt their development when exposed to adverse environments. The evolved traits exhibited by these animal species involve modifications of common biological pathways that affect metabolic regulation, organ function, antioxidant defenses, and oxygen transport. In 2006, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute released a funding opportunity announcement to support studies that were designed to elucidate the natural molecular and cellular mechanisms of adaptation in species that tolerate extreme environmental conditions. The rationale for this funding opportunity is detailed in this article, and the specific evolved mechanisms examined in the supported research are described. Also highlighted are past medical advances achieved through the study of animal species that have evolved extraordinary phenotypes as well as the expectations for new understanding of nature's solutions to heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders through future research in this area.
进化为许多动物物种提供了非凡的表型。其中一些表型使物种能够在类似于人类疾病状态的环境条件下生存和繁衍。研究这些表型背后的进化机制可能有助于深入了解人类疾病的基础，并为新的治疗方法的设计提供指导。例如，能够耐受急性或慢性低氧血症的物种，如深海哺乳动物和高海拔居民，以及那些在暴露于不利环境时会冬眠和中断发育的物种。这些动物物种表现出的进化特征涉及对影响代谢调节、器官功能、抗氧化防御和氧气运输的常见生物途径的修饰。2006 年，美国国立心肺血液研究所发布了一项资助机会公告，以支持旨在阐明耐受极端环境条件的物种的自然分子和细胞适应机制的研究。本文详细介绍了这一资助机会的基本原理，并描述了所支持研究中检查的具体进化机制。本文还强调了通过研究进化出非凡表型的动物物种而取得的过去医学进展，以及通过该领域未来的研究，对理解自然界对心脏、肺部、血液和睡眠障碍的解决方案的新期望。
