Most of the hibernator-associated changes in the genome appeared to “break” the function of specific pieces of DNA, rather than confer a new function. This hints that hibernators may have lost constraints that would otherwise prevent extreme flexibility in the ability to control metabolism. In other words, it’s possible that the human “thermostat” is locked to a narrow range of continuous energy consumption. For hibernators, that lock may be gone.
Hibernators can reverse neurodegeneration, avoid muscle atrophy, stay healthy despite massive weight fluctuations, and show improved aging and longevity. The researchers think their findings show that humans may already have the needed genetic code to have similar hibernator-like superpowers—if we can bypass some of our metabolic switches.
“Humans already have the genetic framework,” Steinwand says. “We just need to identify the control switches for these hibernator traits.” By learning how, researchers could help confer similar resilience to humans.
“There’s potentially an opportunity—by understanding these hibernation-linked mechanisms in the genome—to find strategies to intervene and help with age-related diseases,” Gregg says. “If that’s hidden in the genome that we’ve already got, we could learn from hibernators to improve our own health.”
References: Ferris E, Gonzalez Murcia JD, Rodriguez AC, et al. Genomic convergence in hibernating mammals elucidates the genetics of metabolic regulation in the hypothalamus. Science. 2025;389(6759):494-500. doi: 10.1126/science.adp4025
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