(STUDY FINDS) – Tardigrades have been a microscopic mystery for years – mainly because they’re virtually indestructible! Now, a new study finds the material that keeps tardigrades alive in harsh environments could hold the key to slowing the aging process in humans. In groundbreaking experiments, scientists added tardigrade proteins to human cells and discovered that they can safely slow down human molecular processes.
An international team, led by researchers at the University of Wyoming, believes that adding tardigrade proteins to future medications may also create a new generation of pharmaceuticals that won’t need refrigeration. So, how could a creature you can’t even see with the naked eye potentially hold the key to the fountain of youth? The answer centers around the mysterious processes that keep tardigrades from dying — even in the vacuum of space!
The new study, published in the journal Protein Science, examined how all of this is possible. The answer appears to revolve around a process called biostasis, a form of suspended animation. Tardigrade proteins form gels inside their cells, slowing down their life processes when they enter harsh environments or experience extreme stress.
