#Biomedicalresearch

A groundbreaking new study is raising the possibility that humans harbor genetic “superpowers” linked to hibernation, offering hope for advancing treatments against obesity, diabetes, and neurological damage. Researchers believe that genes regulating hibernation—long thought unique to animals like bears and ground squirrels—are present and functional in the human genome, potentially unlocking revolutionary tools for medicine and health maintenance (livescience.com).

This revelation stems from a pair of studies published in the prestigious journal Science, where geneticists at the University of Utah showed that genes regulating core features of hibernation exist in both hibernating mammals and people. If harnessed, this dormant genetic code could help control metabolism, defend the brain against damage, and spark new advances in treating metabolic disorders. For Thai readers, this research signals potential new strategies in national health campaigns battling non-communicable diseases like type 2 diabetes and obesity, two of Thailand’s most urgent public health issues.

Deep within every Thai citizen’s DNA lies a remarkable genetic legacy from humanity’s distant past—hibernation genes that once allowed our ancestors to survive harsh environmental conditions through dramatic metabolic adjustments. Revolutionary research published in the journal Science reveals these dormant genetic programs may hold the key to combating Thailand’s escalating diabetes and obesity epidemics while offering unprecedented insights into human metabolic resilience.

Scientists at the University of Utah have identified conserved genetic elements that regulate hibernation-like metabolic states across mammalian species, including humans. These “hibernation hub genes” control processes that allow animals to bulk up rapidly, enter profound metabolic dormancy, resist neurological damage during blood flow disruptions, and emerge healthy after months of minimal activity. Most remarkably, these same genetic pathways exist within human genomes, potentially accessible through targeted therapeutic interventions.

A groundbreaking discovery suggests that dormant hibernation genes, inherited from our distant ancestors, could hold keys to combating Thailand’s rising diabetes and obesity rates. New research indicates these genetic programs exist in human genomes and might be harnessed through targeted therapies to improve metabolic health.

Researchers at a leading university identified conserved genetic elements that regulate hibernation-like metabolic states across mammals, including humans. These so-called hibernation hub genes influence how bodies store energy, recover from metabolic stress, and regulate appetite. Importantly, the same genetic pathways appear to be present in humans, offering potential avenues for treatment that avoid drastic dormancy states.

Touch shapes daily life in subtle and powerful ways. New research led by Harvard’s Dr. David Ginty reveals touch as our most complex sense, built from a vast network of cellular sensors that continuously interface with the world. This work, highlighted in a feature by Quanta Magazine and recent Harvard neurobiology findings, shows touch as a dynamic system with many neuron types tuned to different tactile experiences—from a breeze on the skin to a comforting hug.

Touch is a sense so omnipresent that most people rarely pause to appreciate its profound influence—until it’s disrupted. Yet, as fresh research led by Harvard’s Dr. David Ginty reveals, touch is our most complex sense, arising from an intricate landscape of cellular sensors that function as the body’s constantly vigilant interface with the world. These findings, summarized in a sweeping feature in Quanta Magazine and recent reports from Harvard’s neurobiology teams, paint touch not as a single sensation but as a rich, dynamic network involving myriad neuron types, each finely tuned to unique tactile experiences—from the gentle tickle of a breeze on the skin to the comforting pressure of a mother’s hug (Quanta Magazine, 2025; Harvard Medical School, 2024).