Hibernation might sound like an extreme way of life: Animals gain a lot of weight quickly, then drastically slow their metabolism to survive off stored energy through long, cold months.
But for all its intensity, hibernation is surprisingly healthy, so much so that researchers are now exploring whether humans carry dormant versions of the same genetic switches that allow bears, ground squirrels, and other hibernators to cycle through extreme physiological changes without damaging their health.
In two companion studies published in Science, a research team from University of Utah Health uncovered molecular pathways that could help make humans more like hibernators — at least in the ways that matter most for health and disease prevention.
In the first study, the team investigated a genetic cluster associated with hibernation and how its regulation affects metabolism. They focused on a region known as the fat mass and obesity (FTO) locus, which also ...
