Finally: Scientists set to start human trials on suspended animation

posted at 6:25 pm on May 27, 2007 by Allahpundit

I thought the whole point of suspended animation was that it slows or stops aging. Not so:

[R]esearchers claim they are close to the breakthrough that will enable them to put astronauts into a state of suspended animation to make deep space voyages to faraway planets…

So far it has worked on pigs, sending them into a state of suspended animation for several hours.

But other researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Safar Centre for Resuscitation Research at the University of Pittsburgh, believe this could be stretched to days, then weeks, and months.

The scientists say those in hibernation will need to be fed intravenously on a drip-feed.

Hair and nails would still grow and hibernating people would still age, just like those who have fallen into a coma do.

Of what use is it, then, on long space flights? It obviates boredom and cabin fever, and maybe plasma drips are more efficiently stored than solid food, but you’re asking a lot of an astronaut on a 20-year trip to lift off when he’s 25 and touch down at home when he’s in his sixties.

I guess this is just the first tentative step towards complete suspension of aging. Meanwhile…

The researchers also point out another potential difficulty: Human waste would have to be dealt with.

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I predict this will the scene immediately after astronauts wake up from a 20 year sleep:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keqF8nTDSDA

lorien1973 on May 27, 2007 at 6:34 PM

Aging is basically intrinsic programmed cellular senescence (fairly significantly) influenced by accumulated environmental damage. It looks like suspended animation would largely eliminate the latter (assume perfect nutrition and stress-free environs) and blunt the former (assume calorie restriction)

So in the model mentioned above, you’d leave a 25 year-old and be an extraordinairily healthy and biologically young (in a relative sense) sexagenarian.

Still a bad deal.

BillINDC on May 27, 2007 at 6:40 PM

(PS – Aging is certainly made up of more than those two things, but I’m simplifying)

BillINDC on May 27, 2007 at 6:43 PM

So in the model mentioned above, you’d leave a 25 year-old and be an extraordinairily healthy and biologically young (in a relative sense) sexagenarian.

Still a bad deal.

BillINDC on May 27, 2007 at 6:40 PM

They didn’t mention much about muscle atrophy … Hope this isn’t the same bunch who had that Biospherical dome in which they locked a band of cheerfully naive “atronauts” with a big ol’ fancy-stocked greenhouse for two years and produced emaciated people and lots of cockroaches.

naliaka on May 27, 2007 at 6:58 PM

Danger Will Robinson! Dr. Smith is up to his old tricks.

Buck Turgidson on May 27, 2007 at 7:13 PM

Say Hi to Ted Williams’ head for me.

Buck Turgidson on May 27, 2007 at 7:16 PM

naliaka on May 27, 2007 at 6:58 PM

I had the same immediate thought about muscle atrophy. Won’t do much good putting them to sleep if they only wake up years later as virtual paraplegics.

thedecider on May 27, 2007 at 7:48 PM

They didn’t mention much about muscle atrophy

Electric stimulation of the muscles.

BillINDC on May 27, 2007 at 8:12 PM

The point might be to cut down on the amount of food/oxygen you have to launch. Every kilogram you can scrimp saves money.

RightOFLeft on May 27, 2007 at 8:20 PM

obligatory

- The Cat

MirCat on May 27, 2007 at 8:25 PM

Can Rosie be the first long term test subject?

E L Frederick (Sniper One) on May 27, 2007 at 9:06 PM

Can Rosie be the first long term test subject?

E L Frederick (Sniper One) on May 27, 2007 at 9:06 PM

You must’ve not read the article close enough.

- The Cat

MirCat on May 27, 2007 at 9:32 PM

Al Gore’s 90% there already, and, being as progressive, he should volunteer to go first.

Imagine the energy savings!

(Plus, he’s got the body mass for about a safe 500 year nap.)

profitsbeard on May 28, 2007 at 1:01 AM

The researchers also point out another potential difficulty: Human waste would have to be dealt with.

onsidering the new plame memo revalation, maybe it can be saved up in barrells and chris matthews can EAT IT.

jummy on May 28, 2007 at 1:52 AM

Wow! This could help people get through law school.

Attila (Pillage Idiot) on May 28, 2007 at 8:12 AM

Glen Reynolds book Army Of Davids has a chapter on slowing/stopping the aging process in various ways that is not that far off according to some. This would compliment that I suppose.

If you live to 500, this wouldnt be as big a deal to you theoretically. Still I’m surprised the benefits are so few, bummer.

Dash on May 28, 2007 at 9:24 AM

I think the science writer is confused about the development being mostly related to space voyages, or else he felt compelled to use space voyages as a hook. At any rate, someone did try to explain the real point of the work to him:

The mixture puts the human body into hibernation by slowing the metabolism, delaying the onset of shock and limiting wound damage, said researcher Hasan Alam, a surgeon at Massachusetts general hospital and a consultant to the U.S. army.

The main purpose for the near future appears to be to improve outcomes for trauma patients, included wounded soldiers. Still, I venture to add that it seems anything that works “by slowing the metabolism” will probably slow aging, inasmuch as researchers seem to be converging on the opinion that much of our decline with age is due to side-effects of energy metabolism. This site may be a good starting point for anyone who wants to know more about that.

http://www.sens.org/

Kralizec on May 28, 2007 at 12:19 PM