Study Shows How Tardigrade Proteins Can Slow Human Cell Metabolism

University of Wyoming researchers have uncovered fascinating insights into the resilience of tardigrades, microscopic creatures renowned for their ability to endure extreme conditions. Their study, detailed in the journal Protein Science, illuminates how proteins from tardigrades, when introduced into human cells, can effectively slow down molecular processes.

Led by Senior Research Scientist Silvia Sanchez-Martinez, under the guidance of UW Department of Molecular Biology Assistant Professor Thomas Boothby, the research sheds light on tardigrades' unique survival mechanisms. These proteins hold promise for technologies aimed at combating aging and facilitating the long-term storage of human cells, such as stem cells.

Tardigrades, also known as water bears, exhibit unparalleled survival skills, enduring desiccation, freezing temperatures near absolute zero, intense heat, radiation, and even the vacuum of space. Their secret lies in entering a state of suspended animation known as biostasis, facilitated by proteins that form gels within cells, thereby slowing life processes.

Co-authored by researchers from prestigious institutions worldwide, including the University of Bristol, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of California-Merced, the study marks a significant leap forward in understanding tardigrades' molecular mechanisms.

Sanchez-Martinez highlights the remarkable similarity between tardigrade-induced biostasis in human cells and their natural state, enhancing the cells' resistance to stressors.

Crucially, the process is reversible, with the tardigrade proteins dissolving the gel and restoring normal cellular metabolism once stress subsides, as noted by Boothby.

The implications of this research are profound, offering avenues for technologies aimed at inducing biostasis in cells and organisms, potentially slowing aging processes and improving storage and stability.

Previously, Boothby's team demonstrated the utility of tardigrade proteins in stabilizing pharmaceuticals used to treat conditions like hemophilia, eliminating the need for refrigeration.

The enigmatic ability of tardigrades to survive desiccation poses intriguing questions for scientists, diverging from conventional methods observed in other organisms capable of entering suspended animation.