Breaking Boundaries: Researchers Uncover a Mysterious Third State Beyond Life and Death

The Third State of Existence

Though fiction has countless times shared tales about humans existing in a state distinct from life and death, in reality, this phenomenon has been hard to prove. A recent study has upended this general belief of life and death being the only two states through its discussion about a third state exhibited by various living cells. This study published in Physiology focuses on a third state of existence in cells that facilitates after death, as per the researchers, and which can be used in various ways by humankind to enhance their quality of life. The study talks about various instances of this 'third state' in cells of beings like frogs and humans as well as the various features they exhibit during their active period. 

The Third State's Environment

The study's lead authors, Peter A. Noble, and Alexander Pozhitkov, claim that with the right kind of simulation, many living cells can survive beyond death, Indy100 reported. Factors like environmental conditions, metabolic activity, and preservation techniques are essential when it comes to cells entering their 'third state,' as per the researchers associated with the study. Noble and Pozhitkov added that cells with a low energy requirement are more likely to enter the 'third state.' "Active cells that require a continuous and substantial supply of energy to maintain their function are more difficult to culture than cells with lower energy requirements," the experts explained. They also emphasize that preservation techniques like cryopreservation, where cells are kept at a lower temperature, also make the transformation easier to facilitate. The experts have yet to figure out how these different factors interplay with each other to help a cell enter the 'third state.'

Xenobots

In 2021, several U.S. scientists discovered that skin cells from dead frogs had the potential to adapt and become multicellular organisms, in a lab environment, Earth reported. These multicellular organisms were given the name 'xenobots.' The Xenobots had features distinct from their original living form. "Specifically, these xenobots use their cilia – small, hair-like structures – to navigate and move through their surroundings, whereas in a living frog embryo, cilia are typically used to move mucus," Noble and Pozhitkov noted, The Conversation reported. The multicellular organism also displayed features that aided them in functions like material collection, information recording, self-healing, and limited replication.

Anthrobots

The researchers associated with the study also discuss solitary human lung cells which can transform into tiny multicellular organisms, capable of moving around of their own volition, Indy100 reported. Apart from movement, anthrobots can repair themselves and nearby injured neuron cells. "Taken together, these findings demonstrate the inherent plasticity of cellular systems and challenge the idea that cells and organisms can evolve only in predetermined ways," Noble and Pozhitkov conclude. "The third state suggests that organismal death may play a significant role in how life transforms over time."

Third State Offers New Insights

As per the researchers this 'third state' opens a lot of avenues for scientific analysis. The study's authors believe that different forms of cells will help experts in formulating new methods to combat diseases. "The third state not only offers new insights into the adaptability of cells. It also offers prospects for new treatments," Noble and Pozhitkov said. "For example, anthrobots could be sourced from an individual's living tissue to deliver drugs without triggering an unwanted immune response." The researchers further added that an understanding of how some cells continue to function and metamorphose into multicellular entities after an organism's demise can aid in bolstering personalized and preventive medicine.