Sea cucumber recipes don’t seem to be dead

The team also found that the immortality of cut tissue, as we know it, is unique P. industries. The researchers did similar tests on transplants from similar species of sea cucumber, and none showed similar tissue survival.

Zombie cucumber

Back in 1951, doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore took a sample of a malignant cervical tumor from Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old mother of five. When they grew these cells later, they observed that they doubled in size every 24 hours in a seemingly perpetual fashion. HeLa cells, named after the patient, were the first example of immortalized human cells. “This revolutionized molecular science and much of clinical research,” says Jobson.

However, HeLa was a single cell model. LiPfe provides a new experimental model that enables scientists to work with a piece of meat that maintains its immunity, cell management, and nutritional intake, without the stress that comes with testing live animals. “On the evolutionary tree, sea cucumbers are close to mammals, and they have long been known to have the potential for cross-species research,” Jobson said.

The authors of the study also show that the discovery of biologically immortal tissues challenges our common assumptions about what it means to be alive. “The question we get the most is, ‘Are these tissues alive?’ and this is where it gets clever – we affectionately call them zombies,” Jobson said.

LiPfe extracts are not dead because their tissues do not rot or degrade, and they absorb nutrients. On the other hand, LiPfe orbs do not reproduce, and reproduction is one of the most important aspects of life. “They’re not growing into new sea cucumbers but they’re reshaping into a shape that suits them the way they are,” Jobson said. “So, it seems to be working as a new group.”

Before tackling the philosophical issues surrounding LiPfe, the team wants to understand the basics. The first question is how the tissue is immortalized P. industries they actually work. “Is there something special, rare, weird that we haven’t seen in other sea cucumbers that makes them do this?” Jobson was surprised. The second question is why it is there in the first place – if there is a change in this ability or if it is just part of a more regenerative energy.

Finally, we don’t know how long P. industries and their immortal tissues live on. “That’s a big question,” Jobson said. “Unfortunately, there are few tools available to help age sea cucumbers.”

Advanced Science, 2026. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aeb1394