Synthetic torpor: advancing metabolic regulation for medical innovations.

Torpor is a naturally occurring state of metabolic suppression that enables animals to adapt and survive extreme environmental conditions. Inspired by this adaptation, researchers have pursued synthetic torpor-an artificially induced, reversible hypometabolic state with transformative medical potential. Achieving synthetic torpor has been pursued for over a hundred years, with earlier work focused on identifying drugs for systemically suppressing metabolism. Breakthroughs in 2020 identified key torpor-regulating neurons in mice, opening new opportunities for neuromodulation-based metabolic control. Synthetic torpor has been applied in animal models for various medical applications, including ischaemic protection, organ preservation, radiation protection and lifespan extension. This Perspective examines the fundamental concepts of natural torpor, advances in approaches to induce synthetic torpor and medical applications of synthetic torpor. The capability of synthetic torpor to suppress whole-body metabolism has the potential to transform medicine by offering novel strategies for medical interventions.