Drew Kelly L, Fedorov Vadim B, Duddleston Khrystyne N, Tøien Øivind
Center for Transformative Research in Metabolism, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska, USA.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2025 Aug 4. doi: 10.1111/nyas.70013.
Aging poses one of the greatest biomedical challenges of our time, with rising rates of frailty, sarcopenia, and cognitive decline globally. Preserving muscle and brain health is central to maintaining independence and quality of life in aging populations. This commentary explores how hibernation research, rooted in comparative physiology, offers unprecedented opportunities for drug discovery and therapeutic innovation. Hibernating animals exhibit remarkable abilities to regulate metabolism, protect the brain and muscles from atrophy, and prevent cellular damage under extreme conditions. These adaptations could inform new strategies for muscle preservation during inactivity, neuroprotection, and targeted temperature management, as well as critical needs in aging, neurocritical care, and space medicine. The bidirectional relationship between muscle and brain health underscores the potential for hibernation-inspired therapies to address both sarcopenia and cognitive decline. Applying these insights to space medicine and critical care settings could lead to groundbreaking solutions for unmet medical needs. Just as GLP-1 agonists emerged from the study of Gila monster venom, focusing on nature's extreme survivors may reveal overlooked molecular targets for drug development. By harnessing these adaptations, we can advance biomimicry in medical research and inspire sustainable solutions for healthy aging, critical care, and space exploration-offering new hope for patients, clinicians, and policymakers.
衰老构成了我们这个时代最大的生物医学挑战之一，全球范围内衰弱、肌肉减少症和认知能力下降的发生率不断上升。保持肌肉和大脑健康对于维持老年人群的独立性和生活质量至关重要。本评论探讨了源于比较生理学的冬眠研究如何为药物发现和治疗创新提供了前所未有的机会。冬眠动物表现出非凡的能力，能够调节新陈代谢，保护大脑和肌肉免受萎缩，并在极端条件下防止细胞损伤。这些适应性变化可以为在不活动期间保护肌肉、神经保护和靶向温度管理提供新策略，以及满足衰老、神经重症监护和太空医学中的关键需求。肌肉和大脑健康之间的双向关系突出了受冬眠启发的疗法解决肌肉减少症和认知能力下降问题的潜力。将这些见解应用于太空医学和重症监护环境可能会为未满足的医疗需求带来开创性的解决方案。就像胰高血糖素样肽-1激动剂是从对吉拉毒蜥毒液的研究中产生的一样，关注自然界的极端幸存者可能会揭示药物开发中被忽视的分子靶点。通过利用这些适应性变化，我们可以推动医学研究中的仿生学发展，并为健康衰老、重症监护和太空探索激发可持续的解决方案，为患者、临床医生和政策制定者带来新的希望。
