Hibernation in mammals is a seasonal state of metabolic suppression and dormancy characterized by a decrease in body temperature to survive extreme environmental stresses. A new Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) line has been established from the neural precursor cells of wild type thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus), a small mammalian hibernator with unique metabolic adaptations for coping with cold and restricted food supply. This ground squirrel iPSC line can be differentiated into many different cell types for hibernation studies, disease modeling, and drug screening for neuronal injuries or other diseases.
