Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Zombie Cells Discovered that Survive Death

Researchers have made a discovery that may take zombie-phobes one step closer to revising their zombie apocalypse escape strategies. Researchers have found stem cells in cadavers that survived for more than 17 days. The incredible discovery has some potential for medical applications - and some people are wondering if this is going to enter into the dorm room zombie conversations on campuses around the nation.

There are few cells more interesting to researchers than stem cells. These incredible genetic blocks of life are capable of adapting to a number of different circumstances in order to repair damaged tissue, build muscle, and are a key component in creating larger more complex organisms. And now thanks to a study on stem cells conducted at the Pasteur Institute in Paris by Fabrice Chretien and colleagues has determined that the cells actually have more of a lifespan after death than previously thought.

Originally cells were credited with being able to survive for up to two days after the death of larger organisms. In humans, it was previously expected two days was likely the upper limit of how long a stem cell could survive after death. Stem cells are often difficult to find in adults, particularly after death. But the researchers sifted through several cadavers that were kept at temperatures just above freezing and were able to determine that the cells had actually entered a dormant state.

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