Tardigrade proteins could slow aging in humans, small cell study finds

Proteins found in tiny, indestructible tardigrades could potentially be a key ingredient in slowing the aging process in humans, scientists claim. However, it will take more work to show these proteins are a veritable fountain of youth — for now, the researchers have only early hints from lab-dish experiments..

Also known as water bears, tardigrades are near-microscopic, eight-legged creatures known for their practically superhero-like ability to withstand extreme conditions, including tolerating a severe lack of water, surviving in outer space and emerging unscathed from being fired from a gun. To survive such conditions, tardigrades transform into dehydrated balls and dial their metabolisms to near-zero.

Now, scientists have discovered that proteins found in these tiny critters can also slow metabolism in human cells in lab dishes, according to a study published March 19 in the journal Protein Science.

For the study, researchers focused on a tardigrade protein called CAHS D, which transforms into a gel-like consistency when introduced to human cells.

"Amazingly, when we introduce these proteins into human cells, they gel and slow down metabolism, just like in tardigrades," lead study author Silvia Sanchez-Martinez, a senior research scientist in the Department of Molecular Biology at the University of Wyoming, said in a statement. "Just like tardigrades, when you put human cells that have these proteins into biostasis, they become more resistant to stresses, conferring some of the tardigrades' abilities to the human cells."

Related: We finally know how tardigrades mate

Biostasis is a state of suspended animation in which organisms can tolerate unfavorable environmental changes, such as surviving for long periods without water. The scientists have now demonstrated that the proteins that make biostasis possible in tardigrades can have a similar effect on human cells.