The induction of hypometabolism in cells and organs to reduce ischemia damage holds enormous clinical promise in diverse fields, including treatment of stroke and heart attack. However, the thought that humans can undergo a severe hypometabolic state analogous to hibernation borders on science fiction. Some mammals can enter a severe hypothermic state during hibernation in which metabolic activity is extremely low, and yet full viability is restored when the animal arouses from such a state. To date, the underlying mechanism for hibernation or similar behaviors remains an enigma. The beneficial effect of hypothermia, which reduces cellular metabolic demands, has many well-established clinical applications. However, severe hypothermia induced by clinical drugs is extremely difficult and is associated with dramatically increased rates of cardiac arrest for nonhibernators. The recent discovery of a biomolecule, 5'-AMP, which allows nonhibernating mammals to rapidly and safely enter severe hypothermia could remove this impediment and enable the wide adoption of hypothermia as a routine clinical tool.

中文翻译：

---

人类可以休眠吗？

在细胞和器官中诱导低代谢以减少局部缺血损伤在包括卒中和心脏病发作在内的各个领域都具有巨大的临床前景。但是，人们认为人类可能会经历严重的低代谢状态，类似于科幻小说中的冬眠边界。一些哺乳动物在冬眠期间会进入严重的体温过低状态，在这种状态下新陈代谢活性极低，但是当动物从这种状态中唤醒时，它们会完全恢复活力。迄今为止，冬眠或类似行为的潜在机制仍然是一个谜。降低细胞代谢需求的体温过低的有益作用有许多已建立的临床应用。然而，由临床药物引起的严重体温过低非常困难，并且与非冬眠者的心脏骤停率显着增加有关。最近发现的一种生物分子5'-AMP，可以使非冬眠的哺乳动物迅速安全地进入严重的体温过低状态，从而消除了这一障碍，并使低温作为常规临床工具得以广泛应用。