Scientists succeed in inducing hibernation-like state in rodents

A team of Japanese scientists said Thursday they have succeeded in artificially inducing a hibernation-like state in rodents by stimulating nerve cells, suggesting beneficial implications for human medical applications and deep space exploration.The University of Tsukuba and Riken, a state-run research institute, announced their discovery in the online edition of the scientific journal Nature.Hibernation is a state in which some mammals actively lower their body temperature for energy conservation during winter months to survive food scarcity.Mice and rats do not hibernate, although the for…READ FULL ARTICLE