like in science fiction movies Frankenstein And Re-AnimatorThe human body regenerates, existing in a strange state between life and death. While this may sound like pure fantasy, a recent study suggests that a “third state” of existence may actually exist in modern biology.
According to the researchers, this third state arises when the cells of a dead organism continue to function after its death, and sometimes develop new abilities that they never had while the organism was alive.
The “Third State” beyond traditional borders
Interestingly, if this ability is proven through further experiments on cells from dead animals – including humans – it could challenge the definition of legal death.
Study published in the journal PhysiologyThe study was led by Peter Noble, a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, and Alex Pozitkov of the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California.
“Life and death are traditionally viewed as opposites,” the researchers wrote in an article. Conversation,
“But the emergence of new multicellular life-forms from the cells of a dead organism introduces a 'third state' that goes beyond the traditional boundaries of life and death.”
Cells come to life after death
In this third state, some cells, when provided with nutrients, oxygen, bioelectric or biochemical signals, have the ability to transform into new multicellular organisms that display new functions even after death.
The researchers reviewed recent studies that demonstrated the incredible ability of cells to reorganize and take on a new form after the organism's death.
Skin cells become xenobots
In 2021, American scientists discovered that skin cells from dead frogs could adapt to laboratory environments and spontaneously form multicellular organisms – real living machines called “xenobots”.
While most machines are constructed from materials such as steel and plastic, which can wear out or break down over time and have harmful side effects, living systems made from self-renewing and biocompatible materials can avoid these negative consequences.
These xenobots displayed behaviors far beyond their original biological purpose, using hair-like structures called cilia to move around.
They also proved adept at material storage, information recording, self-healing, and limited replication.
Lung cells become human patients
Similarly, other researchers discovered that human lung cells can self-organize into tiny multicellular organisms known as “anthrobots”.
The anthrobots range in size from the width of a human hair to the tip of a sharpened pencil. Remarkably, these multicellular robots are designed to self-assemble and have demonstrated an apparent healing effect on other cells.
These anthrobots could not only move independently, but could also repair themselves and heal nearby damaged nerve cells.
They have demonstrated capabilities that exceed those of xenobots, and have addressed important questions about cellular assembly and cooperation in the body, and the ability to reprogram cells into different structures for different functions.
cells working in the third stage
Experts see these examples as evidence of new cellular functions that did not exist during life, and of cellular changes in unexpected ways.
However, how these cells function in the third stage after the death of the organism still remains a mystery.
One possible explanation, reminiscent of Frankenstein-style ideas, involves a hidden system of “electrical circuits” that regenerate cells.
These channels and pumps can generate electrical signals that enable cells to communicate and perform specific functions such as growth and movement, shaping the structure of the new organism they form.
Factors affecting the third state
Whether or not cells can enter this third state depends on several factors, including environmental conditions such as temperature and energy availability.
Access to fuel and the ability to metabolize that energy also play an important role in whether cells can survive and continue to function after death.
Other variables, such as the organism's age, health, sex, and species type, also affect whether cells can enter the third stage.
The research team suggests that these factors “shape the death landscape” – determining whether cells can persist in this specific state.
Unknown frontiers in biology
This research opens up “unknown frontiers” in biology that could one day bring animal cells, and possibly even human cells, to this third state.
However, will this future be any different? Re-AnimatorWhere regenerated tissue produces devastating consequences remains to be seen.
In this popular 1980s film, a medical student invents a way to regenerate human tissue, with macabre and violent results.
Possibilities of new treatments
This third state not only sheds light on the remarkable adaptive capacity of cells, but also opens up the possibility of novel treatments.
For example, anthrobots could be created from a person's living tissues, which would deliver drugs without activating an immune response.
Each anthrobot begins as a single cell from the trachea of an adult donor, equipped with cilia that facilitate movement.
Researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NIJT) developed conditions to maximize this mobility, and observed a variety of shapes and motion types, which is an important feature of this biorobotics platform.
When introduced into the body, these engineered anthrobots could dissolve arterial plaque in patients with atherosclerosis or help clear excess mucus in patients with cystic fibrosis.
They are biodegradable and safe, have a limited lifespan, and their existence is restricted to the laboratory, eliminating concerns of external exposure or uncontrolled spread.
The Transformational Potential of the Third State
Remarkably, these multicellular organisms have a limited lifespan, breaking down naturally after four to six weeks. This built-in “kill switch” prevents the risk of potentially harmful cell growth.
The authors concluded that, “This research has the potential to transform regenerative medicine, redefine legal death, and provide insights into the physiological limits of life in parallel with investigations into embryogenesis.”
In summary, gaining a deeper understanding of how some cells can continue to function and transform into a multicellular organism after an organism's death, the “third stage,” holds great potential for advancing both personalized and preventive medicine.
Stay tuned…this area of biology is getting really interesting.
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