A Torpor-like State in Mice Slows Blood Epigenetic Aging and Prolongs Healthspan

Overview

Journal Nat Aging

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2025 Mar 7

PMID 40055478

Authors

Lorna Jayne

Aurora Lavin-Peter

Julian Roessler

Alexander Tyshkovskiy

Mateusz Antoszewski

Erika Ren

Aleksandar Markovski

Senmiao Sun

Hanqi Yao

Vijay G Sankaran

Vadim N Gladyshev

Robert T Brooke

Steve Horvath

Eric C Griffith

Sinisa Hrvatin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Torpor and hibernation are extreme physiological adaptations of homeotherms associated with pro-longevity effects. Yet the underlying mechanisms of how torpor affects aging, and whether hypothermic and hypometabolic states can be induced to slow aging and increase healthspan, remain unknown. Here we demonstrate that the activity of a spatially defined neuronal population in the preoptic area, which has previously been identified as a torpor-regulating brain region, is sufficient to induce a torpor-like state (TLS) in mice. Prolonged induction of TLS slows epigenetic aging across multiple tissues and improves healthspan. We isolate the effects of decreased metabolic rate, long-term caloric restriction, and decreased core body temperature (T) on blood epigenetic aging and find that the decelerating effect of TLSs on aging is mediated by decreased T. Taken together, our findings provide novel mechanistic insight into the decelerating effects of torpor and hibernation on aging and support the growing body of evidence that T is an important mediator of the aging processes.

Citing Articles

How extreme lethargy can promote healthy ageing.

Nature. 2025; .

PMID: 40087390 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-025-00707-x.

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