In science fiction movies like Frankenstein and Re-Animator , human bodies are revived, existing in a strange state between life and death. While this may seem like pure fantasy, a recent study suggests that a “third state” of existence might actually be present in modern biology.
According to the researchers, this third state occurs when the cells of a dead organism continue to function after its death, sometimes gaining new capabilities they never had while the organism was alive.
"Third state" beyond traditional boundaries
Amazingly, if further experiments on cells from dead animals -- including humans -- prove this ability, it could even challenge the definition of legal death.
The study, published in the journal Physiology , was led by Professor Peter Noble from the University of Washington in Seattle and Alex Pozhitkov from the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California.
“Life and death are traditionally viewed as opposites,” the researchers wrote in an article for The Conversation .
“But the emergence of new multicellular life-forms from the cells of a dead organism introduces a 'third state' that lies beyond the traditional boundaries of life and death.”
Cells come alive after death
In this third state, certain cells -- when given nutrients, oxygen, bioelectricity, or biochemical signals -- have the capacity to transform into new multicellular organisms, exhibiting new functions even after death .
The researchers reviewed recent studies showing the incredible capability of cells to reorganize and take on new forms after the death of the organism.
Skin cells become xenobots
In 2021, U.S. scientists found that skin cells from dead frogs could adapt to a lab environment and spontaneously form multicellular organisms -- actual living machines called “xenobots.”
While most machines are constructed from materials like steel and plastic, which can degrade or break over time and have harmful side effects, living systems made from self-renewing and biocompatible materials would avoid those negative consequences.
These xenobots displayed behaviors far beyond their original biological purpose, using hair-like structures called cilia to move through their surroundings.
They also proved adept at material collection, information recording, self-healing, and limited replication.
Lung cells become anthrobots
Similarly, other researchers discovered that human lung cells could self-organize into tiny multicellular organisms known as “anthrobots.”
Anthrobots range in size from the width of a human hair to the tip of a sharpened pencil. Remarkably, these multicellular robots are designed to self-assemble and have demonstrated a pronounced healing effect on other cells.
These anthrobots could not only move independently but also repair themselves and heal damaged nerve cells nearby.
They have shown capabilities surpassing those of the xenobots, addressing critical questions about cellular assembly and cooperation in the body, and the potential for cells to be reassembled into different structures for varied functions.
Cells functioning in the third state
The experts point to these examples as evidence of new cellular functions that don’t exist during life, illustrating cellular changes in unexpected ways.
However, how exactly these cells function in the third state after an organism dies remains a mystery.
One possible explanation, reminiscent of Frankenstein-style ideas, involves a hidden system of “electrical circuits” that reanimate the cells.
These channels and pumps may generate electrical signals that allow cells to communicate and perform specific functions like growth and movement, shaping the structure of the new organism they form.
Factors that influence the third state
Whether cells can enter this third state depends on several factors, including environmental conditions such as temperature and energy availability.
Access to fuel and the ability to metabolize that energy also play a crucial role in whether cells can survive and continue functioning postmortem.
Other variables, like the organism’s age, health, sex, and species type, also influence whether cells can enter the third state.
The research team suggests that these factors “shape the postmortem landscape” -- determining whether or not cells can persist in this unique state.
Unexplored frontiers in biology
The research opens up “unexplored frontiers” in biology that could one day bring animal cells, and potentially human cells, into this third state.
However, whether this future will resemble something out of Re-Animator , where reanimated tissue leads to catastrophic consequences, remains to be seen.
In the 1980s cult film, a medical student discovers how to bring human tissue back to life, with dire and violent results.
Possibilities for innovative treatments
This third state not only sheds light on the remarkable adaptability of cells, but also opens up possibilities for innovative treatments .
For instance, anthrobots could be created from a person’s own living tissue to deliver medication without triggering an immune response.
Each Anthrobot starts as a single cell from an adult donor’s trachea, equipped with cilia that facilitate movement.
Researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology ( NIJT ) developed conditions to maximize this motility, observing various shapes and movement types, marking a significant feature of this biorobotics platform.
These engineered anthrobots, when introduced into the body, could dissolve arterial plaque in patients with atherosclerosis or help clear excess mucus in those with cystic fibrosis.
They are biodegradable and safe, with a limited lifespan and strictly laboratory-bound existence, eliminating concerns of external exposure or uncontrolled proliferation.
Notably, these multicellular organisms have a limited life span, breaking down naturally after four to six weeks. This built-in “kill switch” prevents the risk of potentially harmful cell growth.
“This research has the potential to transform regenerative medicine, redefine legal death, and provide insights into life's physiological limits, paralleling inquiries in embryogenesis,” the authors concluded.
To sum it all up, gaining a deeper understanding of how certain cells can continue functioning and transform into multicellular organisms after an organism’s death, the "third state," holds great potential for advancing both personalized and preventive medicine.
Stay tuned...this field of biology is getting very interesting, indeed.
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