Inducing a torpor-like state in mice significantly slowed blood epigenetic ageing and improved healthspan, revealing that a sustained drop in core body temperature, not calorie restriction or metabolic rate, is key to decelerating molecular ageing and promoting vitality.
March 2025 – Nature Aging
Key takeaways
- Temperature, not calories, slows ageing: Lowering core body temperature, not restricting calories or reducing metabolic rate, was shown to significantly slow epigenetic ageing in mice. This suggests that temperature plays a more decisive role than previously thought in regulating biological ageing and could become a target for longevity-focused interventions seeking to mimic torpor or hibernation-like states
- Torpor-like states can enhance vitality: Mice subjected to repeated torpor-like episodes displayed lower frailty index scores compared to controls, indicating delayed onset of age-related decline. Improvements included better physical condition, mobility, and posture, demonstrating that controlled hypothermic states may offer a novel strategy to boost physiological resilience and extend functional healthspan in ageing organisms
- Effects are cumulative and long-lasting: The anti-ageing effects of the torpor-like state increased with duration and were still detectable months after treatment ended. This sustained benefit suggests the intervention causes lasting molecular changes rather than temporary alterations, raising the possibility of long-term epigenetic reprogramming that contributes to improved health and reduced biological ageing
- Not all tissues benefit equally: The most pronounced slowing of epigenetic ageing occurred in blood, with lesser effects in the liver and no significant changes in the kidney or brain cortex. These findings indicate that the longevity benefits of induced torpor-like states are not uniform across the body and may depend on tissue-specific sensitivity
Read the article at: Jayne, Lorna, et al. “A torpor-like state in mice slows blood epigenetic aging and prolongs healthspan.” Nature Aging, vol. 5, 2025, pp. 437–449. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-025-00830-4
