Human Hibernation: SCI-Fi Turned Reality
In this video, produced by TRISH (Translational Research Institute for Space Health), explore the results of a groundbreaking study from the University of Pittsburgh, funded by NASA, investigating sustained metabolic reduction in healthy humans using dexmedetomidine.
The recety published research demonstrates that a regimen of dexmedetomidine can safely reduce metabolic rate, oxygen consumption, and core body temperature, key physiological traits of hibernation. These findings mark a significant step toward applying hypometabolism for long-duration spaceflight, medical emergencies, and austere environments.
Based on the 2025 PLOS ONE publication:
“Sustained metabolic reduction and hypothermia in humans”by Flickinger et al.
Read the study: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone....