Gina Johnson
Cryosleep, or cryonics, is the process of low-temperature preservation of a human body with the hope of restoring it to life in the future. It has been a popular concept in science fiction, with appearances in movies such as *2001: A Space Odyssey*, *Interstellar*, and *Passengers*. While the idea of cryosleep is promising for interstellar travel, it is not without its challenges and ethical dilemmas. So, can cryosleep work?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cryosleep | A form of deep sleep called torpor, which significantly slows metabolic functions |
| Cryopreservation | The process of freezing a body so rapidly that cells freeze while living with no crystallisation |
| Cryonics | The low-temperature preservation of a human corpse with the hope of future restoration to life and full health |
| Cryotherapy | Whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) or partial-body cryotherapy (PBC) used for faster healing of injuries and various health benefits |
| Cryochambers | Containers of liquid nitrogen that instantly freeze the occupant |
| Cryosleep for space missions | Cryosleep can help reduce resources and make long-distance space travel more tolerable |
| Revival from cryosleep | Revival of humans from cryosleep is uncertain due to technological limitations |
| Cryosleep and ageing | Cryosleep can slow ageing but cannot stop it |
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What You'll Learn
Cryosleep and interstellar travel
Cryosleep, or cryogenic sleep, is a concept that has been widely explored in science fiction. It is often depicted as a means of interstellar travel, allowing characters to travel vast distances without experiencing the passage of time. In reality, cryosleep is not suspended animation but a form of deep sleep called torpor, which significantly slows metabolic functions.
The idea of cryosleep first materialized in 1967 when American psychologist James Hiram Bedford became the first person to be cryogenically frozen after his death. Cryopreservation has shown promise in the preservation and revival of organisms from the animal kingdom, but current technology has not been able to translate these successes to humans. Cryosleep is said to preserve people for years, perhaps even centuries or millennia, which would enable interstellar travel.
NASA has developed a cryogenic sleep chamber that lowers the body temperature to 32-34°C, triggering natural hibernation and suspending metabolic functions for up to two weeks. This technology could be used to reduce resources and make long-distance space travel more tolerable, such as the seven-month journey to Mars. Scientists and engineers are also collaborating with NASA and other space agencies to develop suspended animation projects for missions to Mars and beyond. These projects aim to induce a state of torpor that resembles hibernation, rather than freezing the body, to reduce the potential side effects of cryosleep, such as erratic heartbeats, infections, or blood clots.
While the revival of humans from cryosleep remains uncertain, cryobiology, the science of how organisms and tissues interact with low temperatures, is already being used to manage many diseases. Therapeutic hypothermia, similar to the torpor state seen in hibernating animals, slows down cellular biochemical reactions and enhances cellular survival. It is also neuroprotective, inhibiting excitotoxicity, apoptosis, neuroinflammation, free radical generation, seizures, and blood-brain barrier disruption.
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Cryosleep in sci-fi vs reality
Cryosleep, as depicted in science fiction, is a means of suspending a person's life for a set period, often to traverse vast distances in space. In sci-fi, cryosleep is often shown as a way to slow ageing or even stop time itself. The reality, however, is quite different.
Cryosleep in science fiction:
In films like "Passengers" (2016), "Avatar", and "Alien" (1979), cryosleep is portrayed as a futuristic technology that induces a state of suspended animation, where the body's functions are slowed or stopped. This is often shown as a way to preserve the lives of astronauts or passengers on long-distance space travel, with the added benefit of reducing the resources needed during the journey. The pods in these films are often depicted as sleek, high-tech chambers that instantly freeze or "flash-freeze" the occupant, similar to the process of vitrification.
Reality:
In reality, cryosleep or cryogenic sleep is not yet a viable option for human space travel. While it is true that all animals can enter a state of hibernation or torpor, achieving this artificially in humans is a complex challenge. The current focus is on inducing a state of torpor, a form of deep sleep that significantly slows metabolic functions. NASA and SpaceWorks Enterprises are working on this, aiming to place people in torpor for up to two weeks and eventually working towards longer periods. This has the potential to reduce the challenges of space travel, such as resource consumption and the mental strain of being confined in a small space for extended periods.
The main obstacle to achieving long-term cryosleep is the human body's reaction to freezing temperatures. Our cells are filled with water, and when frozen, this water expands and forms crystals, causing irreversible damage. This is known as cell crystallisation or ice crystal issues. While cryoprotectants like glycerol can be used to prevent this, most are toxic to human tissues at the required levels. Additionally, dense brain tissues may not be adequately protected by antifreeze, and neurons could be damaged beyond repair.
While we can medically induce a coma that keeps a person asleep and alive, it does not stop ageing, a crucial component for long-distance interstellar travel. Cryonics, the preservation of a human corpse with the hope of future restoration, is also not a practical option yet as we do not know how to resurrect people from this state.
In conclusion, while cryosleep as seen in science fiction is not yet attainable, advancements in cryobiology and torpor induction show promise for future space exploration and medical applications.
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Cryopreservation and revival
Cryopreservation is a process that involves freezing something so rapidly that cells freeze while living with no crystallisation. Cryopreservation has been used to preserve tissue-engineered skeletal muscle, stony corals, and even humans and animals.
In the context of human and animal preservation, cryopreservation is often referred to as cryosleep or cryonics. Cryonics involves cooling a body down to sub-zero temperatures and supplying it with cryoprotective fluid to prevent ice crystals from forming and destroying the tissue. Cryosleep is a form of deep sleep called torpor, which significantly slows metabolic functions. Cryopreservation has shown promise in animals, but current technology has not been able to translate these successes to humans. No human has ever been successfully revived following cryopreservation, and it is uncertain whether future technology will be able to revive and repair the damage to cryopreserved human bodies.
While cryopreservation of cell suspensions is a well-understood and characterised process, the freezing and revival of engineered tissue have not been investigated or optimised with similar rigor. The protocol for cryopreservation must be customised to the tissue, taking into account the maturity of the tissue, undifferentiated myoblasts or differentiated myotubes, and the advantages and disadvantages of freezing tissue in either state.
In the case of stony corals, cryopreservation and revival have been achieved using a new cytotechnology called isochoric vitrification. This technique is based on the ice-growth-limiting principles of aqueous isochoric thermodynamics and can facilitate a vitrification process at low cooling and warming rates in bulk-volume samples.
Cryopreservation has also been used in sports medicine for faster healing of injuries and has been anecdotally reported to benefit patients with metabolic disorders, multiple sclerosis, affective disorders, cognitive dysfunction, poor sleep quality, chronic back pain, and fibromyalgia.
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Cryosleep and therapeutic hypothermia
Cryosleep, as depicted in science fiction, is a process that puts the human body into a state of suspended animation, slowing metabolic functions and preserving the body for extended periods. While cryosleep remains largely within the realm of science fiction, therapeutic hypothermia, a medical technique with similarities to cryosleep, has been used successfully in various applications.
Therapeutic hypothermia, also known as synthetic torpor, involves cooling the body to induce a state similar to the natural torpor experienced by hibernating animals. This technique slows cellular biochemical reactions, enhancing cell survival and providing neuroprotective benefits. It is achieved by cooling patients using ice packs, chilled pads, cold intravenous saline solutions, or methods like RhinoChill, where controlled coolant is inhaled.
The use of therapeutic hypothermia has a long history, dating back to ancient civilizations like the Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks. Hippocrates, the renowned physician, is believed to have recommended covering soldiers' wounds with snow or ice to slow blood flow and aid in healing. In modern times, therapeutic hypothermia has found applications in cardiothoracic surgeries, neonatal encephalopathy, cardiac arrest, ischemic stroke, traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries, and cerebral tissue preservation for stroke patients.
While therapeutic hypothermia has proven effective in these contexts, achieving long-lasting cryosleep episodes remains a challenge. Prolonged hypothermia can lead to physiological challenges and side effects, such as urinary tract infections. However, researchers are actively exploring methods to induce a hibernation-like state in humans, including temperature-based, chemical/drug-based, and synaptic-based approaches.
In conclusion, while cryosleep as seen in science fiction may be far from reality, therapeutic hypothermia offers a glimpse into the potential of inducing a hibernation-like state in humans. With ongoing research and advancements, the future may hold exciting possibilities for therapeutic hypothermia and its potential applications in medicine and space exploration.
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Cryostimulation and sports medicine
Cryostimulation, or cold exposure in healthy individuals, is being widely used in sports medicine for faster healing of injuries. Cryostimulation can be achieved through whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) or partial-body cryotherapy (PBC). WBC involves entering cryochambers with temperatures ranging from −50°C to −150°C, while PBC uses cryosaunas with air and liquid nitrogen at around −190°C.
WBC is defined as extreme cold therapy applied by placing a subject in a cold room for 1 to 4 minutes. Individuals are exposed with minimal clothing and protection for their hands, feet, and ears, and a small surgical mask to protect the airways. PBC, on the other hand, does not expose the head and uses nitrogen vapour for cooling instead of refrigerated air. PBC also exposes participants to both cold and hypoxia, potentially triggering different cellular responses compared to cold alone.
The use of cryostimulation in sports medicine is becoming increasingly popular, especially for post-exercise recovery in athletes. It has been shown to positively impact recovery and relieve pain and inflammatory symptoms through cold-induced analgesia. Studies have also found an improvement in average power and isokinetic extension muscle strength when combining cryostimulation with resistance training. However, there are still very few studies on the acute and long-term effects of very low temperatures on muscle strength performance, and more research is needed to provide evidence-based recommendations for coaches and athletes.
While the mechanisms of cryostimulation remain unclear, it has been anecdotally reported to benefit patients with metabolic disorders, multiple sclerosis, affective disorders, cognitive dysfunction, poor sleep quality, chronic back pain, and fibromyalgia.
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Frequently asked questions
Cryosleep is the process of low-temperature preservation of a human body, with the hope that one day it can be restored to life and full health.
Cryosleep is not possible as of now. Freezing causes water to crystallize, which damages body tissues. However, torpor, a state of reduced metabolic activity, may be a more viable alternative.
Torpor is a state of hibernation where the heart rate, metabolism, and body temperature are very low. While humans cannot naturally hibernate, torpor can be induced and may slow aging.
