Another superpower. Unkillable tardigrades may one day save humanity

Scientists have discovered that humans can use the incredible abilities of these tiny creatures for their own purposes.

There is hardly anyone who has not heard of these incredible little creatures that can survive in space, withstand freezing, dehydration, and even bombardment from gas cannons, New Atlas says.

But their amazing superpowers don’t stop there – these microscopic water bears always find something else to surprise researchers. What’s more, some scientists believe they will be the last form of life on Earth when the Sun begins to dim, which will take place in about 5 billion years.

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In a new study, researchers at the University of Wyoming have discovered that anhydrobiosis, one of tardigrades’ essential survival skills, may one day save lives. The researchers speculate that the creature’s ability to enter reverse suspended animation when faced with extreme cell dehydration could be exploited for stable dry storage of biological drugs that would normally need to be stored in a refrigerated environment. This means that absolutely everyone can get the necessary treatment and medicines literally.

Vaccines, antibodies, stem cells, blood and other blood products are obtained by doctors from living organisms and their storage requires cold to prevent protein breakdown and subsequent destruction when heated. One such factor based on this cold chain infrastructure is human coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). It is also used to treat genetic diseases, including hemophilia A, as well as serious physical injury or bleeding diseases.

In the study, the scientists used a specific protein and sugar derived from tardigrades stored in their puffy arms and found that it could provide a similar VIII (FVIII) desiccation protection; use it without losing its original natural properties.

The results of the study show that VIII (FVIII) can remain stable in processed form for up to 10 weeks. According to Thomas Boothby, Associate Professor of Molecular Biology, co-author of the study, the possibility of storing drugs in this way plays a special role in natural disasters, during space flights, as well as on the battlefield where there is no access to storage in refrigerators.

Therefore, scientists believe that we can use the tardigrades’ superpower to stabilize VIII (FVIII) and possibly use other drugs that will allow them to remain dryly stable under the influence of high temperatures – they can without exaggeration, get the necessary treatment “anywhere, whatever the conditions.” .

Boothby notes that his and his colleagues’ findings confirm that dry canning, based on tardigrades’ unique abilities, can actually make it easier to preserve vital drugs during transport or storage.

Scientists also believe that this technology will not only attract the interest of the pharmaceutical industry in remote or developing parts of the world, but also a productive space economy that can rely on new technologies, thereby freeing them from addiction. cooling of drugs, products and other biomolecules.

Previously Focus He wrote that tardigrades can pause life if they freeze.

Source: Focus

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