On July 31, 2025, Science published two groundbreaking studies from University of Utah Health indicating that humans may possess dormant genetic switches capable of initiating a hibernation-like state. Researchers examined genetic patterns found in animals that undergo hibernation and identified molecular pathways that also exist in humans.
These findings, first detailed in Discover Magazine, outline how certain DNA regions could influence metabolism, energy use, and physiological resilience under prolonged fasting. The work highlights a genetic framework that may be inactive in people today but could, in the future, be studied further for potential applications in health, medicine, and biology.
Decoding the Genetic Blueprint of Hibernation
The first study examined the fat mass and obesity (FTO) locus, the strongest known genetic risk factor for obesity in humans. This same region exists in hibernating species and is regulated by hibernator-specific DNA sequences that adjust nearby genes up or down. This genetic tuning helps animals rapidly store fat before winter, then survive months of fasting without harming their health.
To explore this further, researchers edited these DNA sequences into mice that do not naturally hibernate. The results were remarkable: changes in human metabolism-like regulation, shifts in body temperature control, altered weight management, and new foraging instincts.
When you knock out one of these elements — this one tiny, seemingly insignificant DNA region — the activity of hundreds of genes changes – said co-author Susan Steinwand.
It’s pretty amazing.
The Hypothalamus and the Control of Hibernation-Like Responses
The second study focused on the hypothalamus, a brain region central to human metabolism. Scientists compared gene expression in fasting and fed mice with that of true hibernators. They found key genetic coordinators that regulate survival during extreme energy shortages — effectively controlling the body’s hibernation response at the neurological level.
This discovery suggests that humans might have the same genetic architecture for metabolic flexibility, even if it currently lies dormant.
Why Unlocking Hibernation Could Change Human Health Forever
In the wild, hibernators manage what seems impossible: they avoid type 2 diabetes despite rapid weight gain, reverse neurodegeneration, preserve muscle mass, and age more slowly. If we could harness these hibernation-linked genetic switches, the implications for treating age-related diseases and extending healthy lifespan would be profound.
There’s potentially an opportunity — by understanding these hibernation-linked mechanisms in the genome — to find strategies to intervene and help with age-related diseases – said lead author Chris Gregg.
If that’s hidden in the genome that we’ve already got, we could learn from hibernators to improve our own health.