Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder's BioFrontiers Institute are studying the biological processes of pythons to identify potential treatments for human diseases. Led by geneticist Leslie Leinwand, the team is investigating how pythons manage extreme metabolic shifts and organ fluctuations during periods of fasting and feeding.
Molecular biologist Skip Maas and his colleagues noted that pythons can survive for months without food while maintaining muscle tone. When the snakes consume a meal, their metallic rate increases by 10 to 40 times to process the nutrients. This shift is accompanied by the rapid expansion and subsequent shrinking of the heart and other internal organs.
The research aims to determine how the snakes undergo these physiological changes without suffering systemic damage. According to Assistant Professor Tommy Martin, the metabolic output during digestion is comparable to a racehorse at full sprint, sustained over several days. The team believes these evolutionary adaptations could offer insights into treating human conditions related to heart disease and metabolic disorders.