Sea Cucumber Tissue Shows Potential for Medical Research with 'Immortal' Cells
Researchers have discovered that severed body parts of the sea cucumber, Psolus fabricii, can survive and heal themselves for over three years in a lab setting, without developing into new organisms. These tissue fragments, referred to as 'zombies' by researchers, maintain cellular function indefinitely, absorbing nutrients without a mouth. This discovery, published in Science Advances, suggests a new model for medical research, offering a potential alternative to HeLa cells, which are human cells that can grow indefinitely but raise ethical concerns due to their origin. The study was led by Sara Jobson, who noted the sea cucumber's high regenerative capacity and the unexpected survival of its tissues. 
