Scientists Found The "Third State" of Existence: How Cells Create New Life After Death

A xenobot.Photo byTufts University/Youtube.

When we think about life and death, we usually consider them as distinct and irreversible states. But recent research has begun to challenge that notion, introducing a new phase that blurs the lines between life and death.

Scientists are now exploring how, even after death, cells from organisms can adapt, transform, and even form new life forms. This "third state" is rewriting what we thought we knew about the biological processes of life and death.

Redefining Death: The Cellular Afterlife

For most of history, death has been defined as the point where an organism's systems stop functioning. Yet, practices like organ donation complicate this idea, showing that cells, tissues, and even organs can continue to function after an organism’s demise.

This resilience raises a fascinating question: what makes it possible for some cells to keep working long after the organism they belonged to is dead?

A team of researchers from the University of Alabama Birmingham and the University of Pittsburgh has taken this question further, studying how cells react to various postmortem conditions.

Their newly published research reveals that, when provided with nutrients, oxygen, and bioelectric signals, some cells can create entirely new multicellular life forms, showing a profound level of plasticity and adaptability.

The Emergence of a "Third State"

Traditionally, biological transformations, like caterpillars turning into butterflies or tadpoles becoming frogs, are examples of expected developmental changes.

But the third state presents a more surprising kind of transformation. It describes scenarios where cells from deceased organisms evolve into new life forms with functions unrelated to their original roles. These transformations are not pre-programmed or part of an organism’s developmental cycle.

In a striking example, scientists discovered that skin cells from dead frog embryos can reorganize themselves into entirely new organisms called xenobots. These xenobots, while originating from frog cells, demonstrate behaviors and abilities far removed from their original biological functions.

Unlike their natural role in moving mucus, the cilia on these xenobots help them move and navigate their environment. Even more astonishingly, these tiny organisms are capable of kinematic self-replication—meaning they can reproduce without growing, something rarely observed in nature.

Similarly, solitary human lung cells have shown the ability to self-assemble into small multicellular organisms known as anthrobots.

For example, human white blood cells can live for 60 to 86 hours after death, while mouse muscle cells regrow two weeks after death.. These anthrobots exhibit novel behaviors, moving around and even repairing neuron cells in their environment, demonstrating just how versatile cells can be in the third state.

How Cells Survive Beyond Death

The idea that life can persist, or even evolve, after death is mind-boggling, but what makes it possible? Several factors, such as the environment, metabolic activity, and the preservation of cells, play a critical role.

Different types of cells have varying survival times postmortem. For example, human white blood cells can live for 60 to 86 hours after death, while mouse muscle cells regrow two weeks after death.

Some cells, like fibroblasts from goats and sheep, have been successfully cultured a month after the organism's demise. Cryopreservation techniques also allow tissues, like bone marrow, to be preserved and used in transplants, showing the resilience of cellular structures.

Looking Ahead: Life After Death

The discovery of this third state isn’t just a fascinating biological curiosity—it could have profound implications for medicine.

For example, anthrobots could be engineered from a person’s own tissues to deliver drugs or therapies in ways that minimize immune reactions. These tiny cellular robots could one day be used to treat diseases like atherosclerosis by clearing plaque from arteries or to help cystic fibrosis patients by reducing mucus buildup.

As researchers continue to explore the third state, they are unlocking new possibilities for both biology and medicine. Understanding how cells can continue to function and transform after death offers exciting prospects for developing personalized and preventive therapies.

The study of life after death, once the domain of philosophy, is now opening new doors in science, reshaping our understanding of life's boundaries and the potential for new forms of existence.