– We wanted to find out what the secret of the bear is, says Alina Evans, professor at Høgskolen i Innlandet. For 13 years, scientists have crawled into the dens of hibernating bears, stunned them and taken samples to find the answer. The brown bear goes into a den in winter. In Norway, it enters the den in October and leaves it in April or May, depending on the temperature. During this period, the bear consumes body fat and lowers its body temperature. – If we humans had lived like the bear we would have become very ill, says Evans. RESEARCHER: Alina Evans, professor at Høgskolen i Innlandet, has been part of the international research project. Photo: Reidar Gregersen / news Since 2010, researchers have examined more than 70 GPS-tagged bears in dens. They have taken samples of blood, muscle, fat and urine. Samples were taken from the same bears in the summer. The researchers discovered a big difference. The platelets changed when the bear was hibernating, but they couldn’t explain why. Facts about the bear Bjørn, actually brown bear, is a mammal in the bear family. It is the largest terrestrial carnivore on the European mainland. The brown bear can have a length of up to 2.5 metres, while the shoulder height is rarely more than one metre. Males weigh 100–300 kilograms and females 60–200 kilograms. In Norway, it thrives best in untouched coniferous forest, preferably in rough terrain. Adult animals live alone except during mating season. The brown bear is omnivorous with a diet consisting mostly of plants, but it also eats some animals and honey. Bjorn also sometimes takes sheep that are unattended, and in some cases also elk calves and reindeer calves. The brown bear goes into a den in winter, but does not fall into a deep sleep. During this period, it eats away at body fat and then lowers the body temperature by 4-5 degrees. The bear often digs its den in an old anthill, in the ground or in a pile of stones. In Norway, the bear enters the den in October or November and leaves it in April or May, depending on the temperature. Source: Store Norske Leksikon INVESTIGATIONS: This is how the investigations of the bears that were in the den took place. Can develop medicines Based on the findings of the investigations of the bears, the researchers have found the same change in the blood of mice, pigs and humans. It gave a breakthrough. – For the first time, we can say that this is something similar to a breakthrough when it comes to blood clots. It can form the basis for developing medicines, says Ole Frøbert, professor at Örebro University and Aarhus University. Norwegian researchers and a large, international research team have found a process in the blood that reduces the risk of blood clot formation. BLOOD SAMPLE: A blood sample taken from one of the bears that was in the den. Photo: Erlend Moe / Høgskolen i Innlandet/Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences Sitting still for too long can lead to blood clots in people. It does not affect the bears, who lie still for several months. The research shows that hibernating bears produce less of a protein called HSP47, which helps blood clot. – Now we know exactly what kind of protein we should aim for when medicines are made to prevent and treat. Blood clots are a very common challenge for many people, says Evans at Høgskolen i Innlandet. The Norwegian Institute for Natural Research (NINA) and Høgskolen i Innlandet (HINN) have participated in the Scandinavian Bear Project. Facts about blood clots Blood clots in veins affect approximately two in 1,000 people over the age of 50 each year. It can cause varying degrees of discomfort, but typically the affected leg becomes tender, swollen and warm. Veins are the blood vessels that bring blood from the body’s various tissues and organs back to the heart. If a vein is blocked by a blood clot, the return flow of blood to the heart is prevented. The area below the blood clot is then filled with blood and blood fluid, and swells up. Many conditions can lead to the formation of blood clots in the deep veins. A particularly important factor is a lack of movement, for example prolonged bed rest in case of illness, after an operation or prolonged sitting still in connection with travel. It leads to slower circulation, possibly to constriction of blood vessels, and increases the risk of blood clot formation in the leg, thigh, pelvic area, arm or shoulder. Source: NHI INVESTIGATIONS: The bears were taken out of the den. Photo: Erlend Moe / Høgskolen i Innlandet/Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences – Adventure film The breakthrough was just published in the renowned Science magazine. – It was purely an adventure film at the beginning. It is an experience every time, and we have learned a lot about the bear’s physiology in these 13 years, says the Danish professor Frøbert. He has been fascinated by the bear’s hibernation for many years, and is the reason why the project was started. – When we don’t use our body, the body breaks down. That doesn’t happen with the bear, and that was the whole inspiration for researching the bear’s hibernation, says Frøbert. No one had taken a bear out of a den before. LEARNED A LOT: Ole Frøbert is a Danish cardiologist and professor at Örebro University and Aarhus University. He says they have learned a lot about bear physiology. Photo: Erlend Moe / Høgskolen i Innlandet/Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences Want to find out more The researchers don’t want to give up just yet. Project manager for the Scandinavian bear project, Jonas Kindberg at NINA, believes they can make several important discoveries. – We will continue to research this, but it takes time and it costs money. We are looking for things that we don’t always know what they are at the start. The potential for new discoveries is great, says Kindberg. Disturbing the bear in hibernation may seem unnecessarily brutal. The researchers believe that the social benefit can justify it. DISTURBED: Disturbing the bear may seem unnecessary, but scientists believe the societal benefit can justify it. Photo: Erlend Moe / Høgskolen i Innlandet/Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences – It is disturbed for two to three weeks before it goes dormant again. We see that they wake up from hibernation a little later than usual. It is a burden, but it is a limited burden, says Evans. The studies have been approved by animal ethics authorities in Sweden. When the bears wake up from hibernation and crawl out of the den, they are completely unaware that it may have helped develop important medicine for us humans. Research on animals in hibernation has also taken place elsewhere. Among other things, NASA wants to find out if hibernating squirrels can help astronauts, NASA announced in January.
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The bear’s secrets provide a breakthrough in research – can reduce the risk of blood clots – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
