#transdifferentiation

[multisnapshott]

The Immortal Jellyfish: Nature’s Secret to Eternal Life

The Immortal Jellyfish in a deep-sea environment Deep in the ocean, a tiny jellyfish harbors one of nature’s most fascinating secrets: biological immortality. Turritopsis dohrnii, commonly known as the immortal jellyfish, has captured the curiosity of scientists and nature enthusiasts alike due to its unique ability to reverse its aging process and, in theory, live forever. A Remarkable Life…

[vmantras]

The Immortality of Turritopsis dohrnii: The Jellyfish That Defies Death

Introduction Imagine a creature that can live forever. A living organism that, instead of dying, can return to its youthful state and start life over again—an eternal being that defies aging, disease, and even death itself. This might sound like a story from science fiction, but such a creature actually exists in our oceans. Meet Turritopsis dohrnii, the immortal jellyfish—a tiny, transparent…

[catboybiologist]

When I get bottom surgery, I genuinely want to ask them if I can keep some samples of testicular tissue, and use whatever lab resources are available to me at the time to do some extremely basic experiments.

At the very, VERY least, I would want any excess tissue homogenized and deep frozen for RNA-seq. If possible, it would also be cool to have some fixed tissue that would let me do IHC for testicular and ovarian enriched proteins. Even if full transdifferentiation of cells isn't possible based on HRT alone, in theory hormonal signaling should be driving expression of some of its downstream targets in primary sex organs, depending on how much it can reverse a lot of the cell fate "locks". Literally just a bulk RNA-seq that I could compare with sequences of cis male testicular tissue would be so fucking fascinating.

But who knows what I'll be doing when I actually get those surgeries and if they'd let me do something like that LOL

[tofufei]

Do you ever think about how precisely Jing Yuan excises his grief to not to succumb to mara because whenever I do I feel like puking my guts out.

This video was in my bili recs this morning and I had to stop myself from tearing up on the train 5s into it. You have to give it to mihoyo that the microexpressions are done amazingly well in the moments it matters. The way he gives himself a moment to take in the two of them after they fought side by side (even if it was to beat up his disciple lol). He regards them with such warmth and affection before Blade cruelly cuts off his attempt at establishing a connection and ughhhh you just see how he compartmentalizes and slips back into his role as the General.

His subsequent conversation with Dan Heng is also so emotionally fraught, I don't even know how he doesn’t just implode.

His "So what?" really gets to me. I thought he'd sound quite like he's repressing his anger but I rewatched the scene and he says it with barely any heat😫 He is well aware that this isn't his old friend anymore, Dan Heng couldn't have been making it clearer. If anything, he sounds resignated and self-mocking.

Also this scene is so evillll because the first time you (I) played this scene, you're totally seeing it from Dan Heng's POV. He's justified in being annoyed with how everyone sees him as someone he isn't, and Jing Yuan seems especially stubborn about not letting it go. I for one just kept thinking "Dude Jing Yuan, leave the poor lad alone."

The thing though is that Dan Heng actually is wrong here — he is very much still Dan Feng by the definition of Vidyadhara reincarnation. The game keeps saying that it wasn't properly carried out and that it failed, but it doesn't tell you in what exact way in the main story. You have to dig a bit for info.

‘The Vidyadhara rebirth normally erases all memory of the previous life. However, you have retained fragments of your past, as well as the powers of the high elder.

‘...If my guess is correct, the Preceptors were unwilling to allow the Ichor Line to end and hoped for Imbibitor Lunae’s resurrection. That is why they tampered with the molting rebirth… and turned you into what you are now…’

Source: Jingliu’s Companion Mission dialogue

‘Most things people are unwilling to part ways with are connected to experiences from their life. It’s really all just small sentimental trinkets: Engraved love pendants, letters from old friends, or even works they’ve personally created…’

‘*Sigh* But what was once of utmost importance becomes of zero relevance when this ancient sea cleanses away all memory and hatches new life. Without exception, no Vidyadhara has ever returned post-resurrection to ask for any of these relics back.

‘After rebirth, ‘you’ are not the same ‘you’ as before. Who cares about how your previous life was lived, or what suggestions might get passed on? You’re better off bequeathing a valuable pendant or whatever for the future benefit of your fellows!’

> ‘So after hatching rebirth you’re a new ‘you’?’

‘From what I’ve seen, most Vidyadhara lack emotions fresh after their rebirth, and are unable to understand the sentiments of their previous selves. Not a single one has ever been able to identify which one of these items used to belong to them.’”

Source: Lingling, a Vidyadhara NPC

It is commonly thought that the source of Vidyadharas' immortality is different from that of Xianzhou natives and Foxians. The Vidyadhara race did not gain immortality from the Plagues Author. Instead, as the descendants of Long the dragon, the majesty of the Permanence flows in their blood.

Due to this unique characteristic, Vidyadharas also exhibit a life cycle different from other long-life species. Their life, consisting of reverting from maturity to an infantile stage in an unending cycle, relies upon continuous cellular transdifferentiation. This is the reason why Vidyadharas do not face the ailments of immortality that many other long-life species have to contend with.

Source: Dan Shu, Disciples of Sanctus Medicus: Collection of Exhibits

“‘I took a few samples from inside a Vidyadhara egg. Nobody was harmed in the slightest. [...]

Todd raised his once dry and skinny hand to show that his wrinkles had disappeared, revealing fair, smooth skin instead.”

–

“‘Hehe, I just was a little sloppy with my experiment. An inevitable result.

‘I thought I'd gained immortality, but unfortunately things were not that simple.

‘My body, it keeps shrinking. My skin, muscles, organs... Indeed, I'm getting younger, you see, but this "youth" doesn't seem to have an off switch.’

> ‘You're de-aging?’

> ‘Kind of like the Vidyadhara tradition of hatching rebirth…’

‘Yes. But so far as I know, their "rebirths" have a limit.

‘Test results indicate that this de-aging process seems to have no endpoint. It won't be long before I'm illiterate and won't be able to understand my own reports — which would seem no difference [sic] from regular dementia.

‘In the end, I might even become an egg again, just like the Vidyadhara. Perhaps I could become a human embryo once again — I mean, I'm not Vidyadhara, am I?’”

Source: Todd Riordan’s Academic Research Adventure Mission dialogue

While what exactly happens during the incubation process after the Vidyadhara turn into eggs before their rebirth is a mystery, the chief condition of a rebirth being considered one is the *complete* loss of your memories. After rebirth, the Vidyadhara can be of a different gender and usually display no similar inclinations as their previous incarnations. What we also know is the way they turn into eggs is via de-ageing.

So you have to understand Dan Feng's reincarnation was incomplete in the way that he literally just de-aged a bit. Philosophical debate aside about what makes you you and if you're still yourself when you've lost memories that made you you—Dan Heng biologically is de-aged Dan Feng. How Dan Heng thinks of himself is course his prerogative and it's totally fair that he sees himself as a whole new person and believes that Dan Feng has nothing to do with him. But he still has his powers. He still has some of his memories; probably more than he lets on actually if you read some of playable!Dan Heng's character stories in-game. So it’s not hard to understand why other people would still see him as Dan Feng even if he doesn’t think he is.

Anyways, point is that Jing Yuan actually doesn't cling that much to the past as first impression makes it seem, either. I was gonna say that he calls him Dan Feng in...two? instances which come across as very annoying to the player, but I’m Ctrl+F ing this chapter and he never does directly address Dan Heng as Dan Feng to his face. Actually, Jing Yuan comes to terms with it shockingly swiftly. "Old friend." "I'm not him." "Mhm… sorry" <- HE HAS ACCEPTED IT THEN AND THERE. Those are their first words exchanged after reuniting, what the heck... It was both a half-hearted and a last ditch attempt to find his old friend in Dan Heng, and it’s not as if he never had any high hopes but they immediately get shattered, nonetheless.

Jing Yuan doesn't see and need Dan Feng in Dan Heng, the one that does is the Luofu General—he says as much. And after Dan FHeng fulfills what was his duty all along (sealing the fancy tree with his dragon powers or whatever, I don't quite remember) and something he sorely owed to Jing Yuan and the Luofu, Jing Yuan lets him go. *points at "Haha, let us talk of happier topics. The friends you made on the Express are about to arrive here. Don’t you wish to see them?"* Like do you see this!!!!!! He immediately engages with Dan Heng as Dan Heng of the Astral Express, and asks him about his new friends QAQ

He really has perfected the art of letting go. So yeah. On Jing Yuan and the excising of grief ���

[dainty-doodles]

Immortal Jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii)

This creature is very cool. The Immortal Jellyfish is a species of small, biologically immortal jellyfish found throughout the world in temperate to tropic waters.

The Immortal Jellyfish is a hydrozoan that begins its life as tiny, free-swimming larvae known as planulae. After the planula settles down it develops into a colony of polyps that attach to the sea floor. All the polyps and jellyfish arising from a single planula are genetically identical clones. The polyps form into a branched form to create an adult jellyfish, also known as medusae. The jellyfish, who bud off of the polyps, continue their life in a free-swimming form.

The “immortal” part comes in because if an adult Immortal Jellyfish becomes sick or old, is exposed to environmental stress, experiences starvation, undergoes sudden temperature changes, experiences reduction of salinity, or is physically assaulted it can revert back to its polyp stage, forming a new polyp colony. The jellyfish achieves this through a process known as transdifferentiation (say that five times fast). Theoretically this process can go on indefinitely, effectively making this species biologically immortal. In practice however, the Immortal Jellyfish can still die, such as from predation or disease.

When Immortal Jellyfish become sexually mature, they are known to prey on other jellyfish at a rapid pace. Their diet also consists of zooplankton, fish eggs, and small mollusks. The Immortal Jellyfish consumes food, and excretes waste, through its mouth (I thought this was funny - it literally eats and poops out of the same hole).

Predators of the Immortal Jellyfish includes other jellyfish, sea anemones, tuna, sharks, swordfish, sea turtles, and penguins.

Credit: Wikipedia

[inherlight]

Zemali / Lore / Blissful but Frail

Except for their hardened limbs and heads, Zemali are really fragile and cautious people. They live, move and think slower because their bodies can’t endure too much prolonged pressure and stress that are normal for sistren of other Tribes. Even internal bodily fluids are slow and thick.

Zemali bodies are synthesis of flesh and fungal trama – puffy parts are lightweight and squishy-soft on touch; thick skin isn’t very elastic and can be easily damaged physically (much less thermally), smooth, covered in very short and soft trichomes and weakly fluorescence; skeletal structure in their torsos is mostly made of something similar to cartilage rather than bones; even nociceptors are simplistic, to reduce plausible discomfort or pain. Muscles are stiff and tight but easy to grow and hard to lose mass (though Zemali stay relatively weak compared to other tribes), moreover their bodies are very low on any kind of fats. On a good side they have really strong immune system, and not many common viruses or parasites are interested in Zemali, as well wild animals and most of insects ignore them, which is attributed to calming earthy-tomatoe odor; they hardly susceptible to long-term low-level emissions and many toxins; can rapidly regenerate tissues in response to injury. It seems like Zemali are also never in danger of starvation: during primal aridification and consecutive famine decades Zemali were falling into hibernation, surviving for years without food, yet barely active even to think and realize when famine season ends.

Being closer to trees not just visually, but mentally too, Zemali incline to have eidetic memory and strict circadian rhythm. For unhurried nature they never had adventurous spirit, and for their vulnerabilities – they are still least dangerous warriors. They are neither in a daily chase for personal glory, nor seek great life goals to attain. Zemali take pleasure in humble life of tranquility and familiarity.

Very polite and benignant, they can easily take offense as small as at improper language, but will keep genial composure even with people they greatly hate. No matter what others do – Zemali are gentle and benevolent towards them. For aggressive tribes thy look like cowards – easily forgive old enemies, very few of them have any desires to experience anything extremal, and in general act overly-pacifistic. As Aspect of Grace teaches, Zemali too feel pity for criminals and traitors: not in desire to forgive them, but because they can’t be forgiven anymore and deserve punishment, though even more pity is shown to sistren who now must deliver these punishments.

However this fragile state don’t last forever. A process similar to transdifferentiation happens when Zemali reach elderhood: skin and bones get harder, muscles – denser; they grow bigger and heavier; mindset become belligerent, cruel and competitive. Such Elders can’t be considered weak even by standards of other tribes. Today, as the result of an all-directional progress and social stability in Meority, Zemali can live safer and therefore longer than in previous generations, thus much more of them surviving until becoming Elders. There is no strict limit on how much Zemali can grow, but eventually their bodies shut down when even Elder’s powerful immune system can’t maintain vastly progressing internal malfunctions.

Zemali don’t bury nor treat bodies of deceased with funeral rites like other tribes do, partially because decay of their flesh is odorless and drying: deceased just laid open on the ground deep in forests, head against a tree foot, to feed its growth. As a result you should be wary that some thickets you see from afar might be Zemali Cemetery Forests.

***

Elderhood of course is not the first time in Zemali’s life when they transform: when born, their leaflings look like cute leafy four-legged caterpillars. After a few months of proper feeding little body overgrow with even more leaves which start to glue to each other, forming a cocoon. Inside that cocoon for another month, through metamorphosis, little Zemali grow proper bones, limbs and heads, until old leaves fall off.

More than a half of Zemali are under condition of vocal cords being either dysfunction or don’t exist at all, but those who still can speak are perceived by sistren tribes as monotone and plane. Because Zemali learn sign and hip language first, it is now used in their culture more often than spoken language even by kin without vocal disabilities. Zemali are in general not fond of noise (and big artificial lights), so almost all of them live away from big cities and rely less on recent flashy technologies.

Zemali Biology is heavily affected by surrounding environment and growth conditions during childhood. That, horn shape and color of leaf-hair depends on a biome where Zemali grew up, as well as developed tolerance to local climate, while adults can show only slight changes in coloration after decades. Peak height as well affected by childhood’s local environment, but even more by a balance of hydration and nutrition level relatively to that environment during growth.

Surprisingly, Zemali prefer raw animal meat and insects in their died, but even more they enjoy… fish… likewise they savor for a cup of fresh animal blood instead of juice. Most of plant-based food tastes bland, they say, unless fried almost to the black. Though any heavily burned meal is appealing to Zemali tastes, its funny that they dislike fire.

Talking about fire: as all true children of Meora should, Zemali retain artistic love for gorgeous bodies and erotic poses, but sex drive is very low among them – Zemali view it only as a reproduction purpose rather than physical pleasure; yet experience of romantic love is in high regard, and mating ritual possesses great importance for them, providing mental enjoyment from the fact of doing rather than physical sensation.

***

Before Paleolithicc period begun and even First Settlements were drowned in the Sea of Birth, most of Zemali ancestors, together with the Giants, migrated to a southern Thigh region of Her Gorgeousness, more fertile and stable lands where Crumbling was less common or stressful. There they were able to save knowledge of agriculture given to us by Meora, long enough for it to survive first Crumblings, and later be perfected with a help of sistren tribes. However, for being soft in mind and body, after the Giants left to yet Cursed Islands, villages of Zemali would be very often invaded, plundered and conquered during primal wars and in continuous centuries, though during Hegemony reign Zemali were the only subdued Tribe who had at least some peace, which is ascribed to the fact that [REDACTED] didn’t even consider Zemali as living beings and therefore had no interest in their suffering as long as they kept plowing on fields and feed their Empire.

Although Zemali population now spread and live in every region of Her Gorgeousness, thousands of years later many descendants of first migrants still inhabit Thigh region, spiritually inrooted here and never thinking of leaving ancestral home. Massive farmlands and orchard of The Empire of Hips and Thighs belong to many houses of Zemali, for they are the ones who heed to needs of plants and earth unrivaled. Zemali fingers can perceive chemicals produced by vegetation – a sense through which they understand current condition of plants they care about, while feet can perceive soil amenities. Through this comprehensions Zemali can aid trees and crops with natural means in precise ways, or find better fields for young plants, hence achieving greater harvest than that by agriculturalist of other tribes. Although help of sistren tribes is still required to efficiently gather results of this work. After which Zemali assemble for Feasts of Harvest and holy celebrations they do in the name of food and fertility, always welcoming outsiders to join. They don’t speak nor laugh there of course, but soft music and reveling sounds are present. Often Zemali houses celebrate together under the nearest Temple of Fertility, where remains of previous Angels of Grace are sheltered, and on some marvelous days anew Angels of Grace would join to contemplate results of previous lives.

Because of these abilities Zemali regularly assist Remedy Forces even if not blessed with the Gift of Creation. Some are actively assigned around the Crus, where they help to heal and pacify wild vegetation of Her Plagued Wound, bringing closer a day when the Infernal Malady will be extinguished and Allmother will stop suffering pain from this ancient bite.

[ang3l-ocean]

Hiya! I just found Ur account cos Ur silly lil shark drawings came up on my dash and omg U seem super cool! If U want to yap, I adore jellyfish so would love to hear anything abt them! Alternatively tho you could yap about literally anything to do with marine bio and I will absolutely read lol. Anyways omg I'm sure this account is gonna be such a slay, from one ocean-obsessed INFP to another🌊💙

hiiiiii!! nice to meet u! 😊 ur account is literally so cool omg 😍🌊

jellyfish are soooo cool!! do u have a favourite type of jelly?? i think i like the atolla jellyfish or helmet jellyfish. there are a lot of jellyfish in the river where i do rowing training, they’re these brown ones, i think they’re called australian spotted jellyfish.

the cute little brown jellies and the sunrise at the rowing shed 😊

atolla jellyfishh (or deep-sea crown jellies i think) look like tiny little UFOs. they’re about 15 cm wide. they have a bioluminescent bulb that they use to disorientate and confuse predators that are threatening them, and allowing them to swim away. also they eat plankton.

there is also a type of jellyfish which is called an immortal jellyfish that can revert back to a polyp when it is physically injured as an adult, and then regrow to be genetically the same as an adult again. they do this through transdifferentiation, a process where cells that are specialised for a specific tissue can turn into a different type of cell that is specialised for another tissue. they are also reallllyyyy small, less than half a centimetre big fully grown.

anywayyy tysm for ur message!! i hope u learned something!!!

also i hope u liked my shark drawings 🙃🦈

[girltentacles]

Jellyfishgirl age regressing by transdifferentiating into a polyp stage

[aniron48]

Plz explain aura thing, and could I ask for mine?

@prismatic-bell hello, friend! So, the aura thing came from this post--in sum, while a little tipsy from bourbon cream and hanging out on Tumblr (as one does) I made up an ask game where people could ask me to tell them the color of their auras. When I hit 'post,' I fully envisioned it as just an excuse for some shitposting--eg, someone would send me an ask, and I would roll the metaphorical dice and respond with something like "SPARKLES." But somehow it immediately became...whatever the opposite of shitposting is? Is that earnest posting? At any rate, it became, for me, these nice moments of just letting myself write and connect with people, so I just went with it. 💜

Anyway! Your aura is the color of one of the most incredible living things on the planet--the immortal jellyfish:

The immortal jellyfish starts off like all other jellyfish--as a larva, then something called a planula, then something called polyps, and then an adult jellyfish. Normal so far, right? But the immortal jellyfish can do something completely bananas: if it's threatened or damaged in any way, it can regress to the polyp stage. In other words, it becomes "younger," and regrows damaged cells as it gets a second (or third, or twentieth) chance to grow into adulthood again.

This process of cell recycling and repair is called "transdifferentiation," and naturally, all kinds of scientists are interested in it for all kinds of reasons. But what's amazing to me about it--and what your aura embodies as well--is that extraordinary capacity not just for survival, but for healing. What an incredible gift, to have the capacity to begin again whenever you need it, to go back to the start and reach for something new, something that heals.

💜💜💜💜

[animalnomenon]

Animalnomenon of the day: Jellyfish!

Jellyfish are usually known as transparent floating blobs with tentacles on the ocean, but did you know, not all of them have tentacles? For example, the deepstaria enigmatica has no mouth-arms or tentacles at all!

There is a kind of "immortal" jellyfish! The Turritopsis dohrnii can't die due to old age, once it gets old or hurt, it'll drop to the seabed and use transdifferentiation to get its former cells from when it was still a polyp back, making these animals biologically immortal!

A jellyfish's size can vary a lot! For example, some jellyfish, like the irukandji, can be as small as a coin, but some can grow to be around the size of a 13 story building, like the lion's mane jellyfish.

They're made of mostly water! Since they are around 95% water, most jellyfish evaporate a few hours after being washed ashore.

Jellyfish have no brain, heart or bones, they're very simple animals and only have 3 layers, the outer epidermis, the mesoglea, and the inner gastrodermis, but although they may not have a brain or a heart, they have an elementary nervous system able to detect light, vibrations, and chemicals on the water.

They're a really old animal, it's estimated jellyfish have been around for over 500 million years, making them the oldest multi organ animal in the world, older than sharks, dinosaurs, and trees!

That was today's animalnomenon!

[r3mini]

The key to their survival is their ability to blend in with the ocean, which is achieved with bodies made up of 98% water. Not only that, but they also have no brain, blood, lungs, or heart. Instead of a brain, jellyfish have an elementary nervous system with receptors that detect light, vibrations, and chemicals in the water. Along with the ability to sense gravity, these capabilities allow the jellyfish to navigate. Absorbing oxygen through their gelatinous skin, they have no evolutionary need for lungs, heart, or blood. Some species of jellyfish do have eyes and "teeth," or rather thin hairs that pull in and bite down on their food. As far as scientists can tell, the Turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish might be able to cheat death. Found in the Mediterranean Sea and in the waters of Japan, this species can undergo cellular transdifferentiation. When threatened, sick, or old, it begins a process that reverts its cells to a polyp or adolescent stage and then forms a new polyp colony. Basically, creating younger versions of itself that will become identical to its mature adult form when grown. A jellyfish fountain of youth! Yet, other species aren’t so lucky. Most jellyfish only live for about a year, with some only living for a couple of days.

i luv learning on the internet

[houyin]

Perhaps one of the most curious aspects of Ren's immortality is that, despite being Mara-struck (with an arguably "purer" variant thanks to Shuhu), Ren is unable to suffer from the usual effects of Mara, such as a complete loss of sanity or the florid growths that afflict typical Marastruck. Not only that, but Ren experienced de-aging that reverted his body to that of a younger man, presumably back to his former self when he was just in his early 30s. The reason behind all of this is because of the fact that Ren isn't just Mara-struck who became a Long-lifer, but became the first successful hybrid just after the Semi-Draconic Abomination failed.

Kind Female Voice: To unearth the potential might of Long's blood… and incorporate other races into the flesh of the dragon — isn't that the real meaning behind the Transmutation Arcanum? - The Dragon Returns Home

One plot point constantly asserted since the debut of Dan Heng IL's companion quest is the assertion that the changes done to the Transmutation Arcanum resulted in the Semi-Draconic Abomination's uncontrollable creation, and while it was a failure after Jingliu had to put it down, Yingxing became the successor. When the remnants of Shuhu that had caused the original aberration fled the dying Abomination, this version of Shuhu had been transfigured by Dan Feng's blood and bone marrow and hybridized itself before catalyzing in Yingxing's dying body and becoming the spiritual successor of the Semi-Draconic Abomination.

The craftsman was covered in blood and wounds as he guarded the dragon with a sword in his hand. He urged himself to commit to the decision. - DHIL, Character Story III She gasped, barely holding her wounded body together. Far away, deeper in the delve, there came the anguished roar of a dragon, as if pleading for death. She watched as the arrogant craftsman fell into the mud, and walked up to him like a wraith. - Jingliu, Character Story IV

During the Sedition, after this transformation, it's highly implied that Yingxing not only transformed before the Semi-Draconic Abomination's death, but that he engaged in battle with Jingliu to the point that she was previously injured from their duel while Yingxing protected Dan Feng. As Jingliu acknowledges, Yingxing likely had been transformed simultaneously as the Abomination had been made, his elevated strength level is consistent with the Draught of Draconic Surge, a medicine that combines Long's blood with that of subjects who imbibed it.

Their life, consisting of reverting from maturity to an infantile stage in an unending cycle, relies upon continuous cellular transdifferentiation. This is the reason why Vidyadharas do not face the ailments of immortality that many other long-life species have to contend with. […] For long-life species, this medication can trigger mara in a more controlled manner, making the bodily organs "go out of control in a more controlled manner" under the dragons' guidance, instead of growing haphazardly with the Plagues Author's power. The host would then gain power only available to the mara-struck while retaining their sanity. As for short-life species, this medication would forcibly graft the power of the dragons into their body. This brutal transplantation will cause a rapid elevation of bodily capacities for a short duration, significantly improving the short-life species' fragile physiologies. - Pharmacological Studies on the Draught of Draconic Surge, Disciples of Sanctus Medicus: Collection of Exhibits

In addition, the de-aging that Yingxing underwent is identical to what a scholar named Bernini underwent centuries later.

…The retro-natal ecosystem of the Vidyadhara is really interesting. Just soaking in these pools leaves me feeling a whole lot younger… And as for this auto-incubation method of theirs… […] …I got a tube of Vidyadhara egg extract and to be honest, I was worried that my needle wouldn't penetrate their "eggshells." […] After I got her to leave, I finally checked myself out in all my glory in the mirror. I was young, handsome, and sculpted like a statue. - Shredded Notes of Scholar Bernini

Another aspect of Ren's immortality and his hybridization as a High Elder-descended Vidyadhara/Shuhu'd long-lifer is the fact that it's constantly asserted how it's only by the power of Long that the Ambosial Arbor, the pinnacle of Yaoshi's manifested power, which highly suggests the possibility of Yaoshi's power deriving from Long o create a complete immortality that materialized in Ren.

Dan Shu: On the eastern horizon, the arbor stands tall, the candle dragon down below… One day, I'll see that view for myself. - Venom Brews, Immortality Looms He dreamed he was standing before a sacrificial altar, dancing and chanting. However, the songs and gestures were mere facades. The light emanating from his eyes and the storm roiling in his blood were the true forces at play. Casually, he wove the misty and foggy tide in Scalegorge Waterscape, sealing the maddened and frenzied "dragon" into the propagating giant tree. As the echoing roar streamed up into the heavens and dissipated, Scalegorge Waterscape will continue its peace for centuries more, and his duty was over. - DHIL, Character Story I Dan Heng: The Mirage Echoes of Scalegorge Waterscape mentioned that not only was Dan Feng a brave warrior — he could heal others with cloudhymn magic. Dan Heng: What you have is the power of the high elder that belongs to you — the power of life that can reforge the Arbor's seal and the vitality of the eternal roots… It is a world away from my power of destruction. - The Dragon Returns Home Dan Heng: Shun the tree's growth, the residual plague. Water of the ancient sea, upon the High Elder's command, subdue the eternal roots. Dan Heng: Strange… This is different from the breaking of the seal. Why is there no reaction? Bailu: What's wrong? Not going to plan, huh… Dan Heng: Shun the tree's growth, the residual plague. Bailu: Shun the tree's growth, the residual plague. Dan Heng & Bailu: Water of the ancient sea, upon the High Elder's command, subdue the eternal roots. - The Dragon Returns Home

According to Dan Shu and DHIL's character stories, there exists something known as the "maddened and frenzied dragon," called the candle dragon, tied to the Ambrosial Arbor. Whether an actual being or a metaphor, it strongly implies the connection between Abundance and Permanence, as only a High Elder is capable of sealing the Arbor, which is also true of the High Elders for the Hexafleet ships that carry similar Plaguemarks. Given how it's outright said that Dan Feng possessed dualistic powers of healing and destruction, it suggests a division wherein the healing is reminiscent of the Abundance.

Put simply, the secret of the Xianzhou natives and Foxians is that our cells can shift as needed between differentiated cells and stem cells. This conversion obeys specific rules that will never create a single error. […] As the cells shift between differentiation and omnipotence, the person's bodily characteristics are forever set at their original "standard." […] The original standard will be over-written and the body will start to develop catastrophically, turning a civilized "human" into a mindless "abomination." This is what we commonly call "mara-struck." [...] It is commonly thought that the source of Vidyadharas' immortality is different from that of Xianzhou natives and Foxians. The Vidyadhara race did not gain immortality from the Plagues Author. Instead, as the descendants of Long the dragon, the majesty of the Permanence flows in their blood. - Pharmacological Studies on the Draught of Draconic Surge, Disciples of Sanctus Medicus: Collection of Exhibits

To put it simply, Ren's immortality is both the result of Shuhu amalgamating to him that made him spectacularly more powerful than the average Marastruck long-lifer whilst this Mara was tempered by Dan Feng's essences that allowed him to both de-age to be much younger than he was and prevent the Mara from overtaking him in the most perfect form of immortality there was. Carrying the legacy of Shuhu and the High Elder, it created what could only be described as the perfect monster.

[vmantras]

The Immortal Jellyfish: Nature’s Secret to Eternal Life

Introduction What if I told you there’s a creature on Earth that can live forever? It sounds like science fiction, but in the depths of the ocean, there exists a tiny jellyfish called Turritopsis dohrnii, also known as the immortal jellyfish. Unlike other living organisms that age and die, this jellyfish has the unique ability to reverse its aging process, effectively making it biologically…

[catboybiologist]

Do you see a future where we can give a trans person a shot and have their body start making the correct sex hormones (eg testes change to make E, or ovaries change to make T)? How far off? What things need to be accomplished to achieve it, and what tools do we already have?

Disclaimer that none of this is gonna be all that scientifically robust, the terms used are gonna be descriptive rather than technical, and that I'm just woke up and these are the ravings of a woman gone mad.

A single shot is ambitious, but I could see a course of several months or a couple years that, after those several months, lasts a lifetime.

How far off? I mean, wildly dependent on funding and focus. Unfortunately, nothing related to trans healthcare is gonna see a serious push I would think. With an actual, serious push, I would give it a few decades of research (if that)(this is blisteringly fast btw) until it's punted over to the FDA. At that point it's outside of my knowledge to know how far things would move forward.

But honestly, it's part politics, part luck of the draw on what people research and push forward. Might happen in our lifetime, but don't hold your breath. Research is grindingly slow.

This is mostly based around the possibility of inducing transdifferentiation. Tldr:

-stem cells are exciting bc they can become any cell type. They haven't "locked in" their cell fate yet.

-most research on cellular differentiation centers around deprogrammed differentiated cells, reverting them to stem cells, and then reprogramming them into something else. The deprogramming is actually well studied (shoutout Yamanaka factors) but I don't see something like this reaching a medicinal, in vivo use soon.

-in extremely rare and induced cases, however, you can force a fully differentiated cell type to become another fully differentiated cell type *without* that intermediate. This is likely way easier to pull off in vivo, even though the initial molecular triggers are much, much rarer and more difficult to study.

Which brings us to the two theoretical dots that we can use here: prostatic metioplasias as a result of testosterone (for transmascs) and the role of DMRT1 for transfemmes.

Broad tldr of each of these points:

-there was a study that studied vaginal lining of transmascs who had been on T for several years and gotten hysterectomies. They found some prostate tissue intercalating the vagina.

-removal of a particular gene (DMRT1) allowed testes to slowly become ovarian tissue and produce estrogens. This gene is responsible for maintaining testes cell fate- keeping the lock, locked.

Neither of these provides a direct basis for actual medication. They show avenues for what will work, however. What's necessary here is to understand the upstream signals that control the expression of genes like DMRT1, which can then be exploited to force expression or stop expression in vivo, in a human.

Basically, the way transdifferentiation would work here is blasting the appropriate cells with enough of these signals, over enough time to ensure that everything actually undergoes TD, to reprogram everything you want to reprogram.

(yes, I know about the crispr transfemme who targeted DMRT1. No, I don't think that's real. I've posted about that before.)

You don't have to bother reading these, but here's the primary sources I'm talking about for anyone interested:

[chubbybunny25]

today, i (unintentionally) learned about the creature immortal jellyfish and this process called transdifferentiation, where, instead of dying, an old or stressed jellyfish would revert back to becoming a polyp (kind of equivalent to de-aging) and then grow into a mature jellyfish again. then repeat cycle.

[dailyunsolvedmysteries-movedd]

The Immortal Jellyfish

Like all jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrnii begins life as a larva, called a planula, which develops from a fertilized egg. A planula swims at first, then settles on the sea floor and grows into a cylindrical colony of polyps. These ultimately spawn free-swimming, genetically identical medusae—the animals we recognize as jellyfish—which grow to adulthood in a matter of weeks.

These tiny, transparent creatures have an extraordinary survival skill, though. In response to physical damage or even starvation, they take a leap back in their development process, transforming back into a polyp. In a process that looks remarkably like immortality, the born-again polyp colony eventually buds and releases medusae that are genetically identical to the injured adult. In fact, since this phenomenon was first observed in the 1990s, the species has come to be called “the immortal jellyfish.”

The cellular mechanism behind it—a rare process known as transdifferentiation—is of particular interest to scientists for its potential applications in medicine. By undergoing transdifferentiation, an adult cell, one that is specialized for a particular tissue, can become an entirely different type of specialized cell. It’s an efficient way of cell recycling and an important area of study in stem cell research that could help scientists replace cells that have been damaged by disease.