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A deep-diving Antarctic seal that can swim for up to 30 minutes without taking a breath may hold the key to repairing the damaged tissue of heart and stroke victims.

Scientists hope studying the changes in the muscle proteins of Weddell seals, which unlike humans can exercise without breathing, will shed light on how to prevent tissue damage in humans with cardio-vascular problems.

"Weddell seals can dive down to 400 meters and hold their breath for up to 30 minutes to find food," said York University stem cell biologists Thomas Hawke.

“That is equivalent to a human taking a deep breath, walking into a darkened Wal-Mart, shopping, and emerging 30 minutes later before taking their next breath. And yet they don't have heart attacks, they don't have strokes.”

This October, Dr. Hawke will travel to Antarctica with three scientists to study the seals. The team will take tiny muscle biopsies from infant, juvenile and adult seal populations cavorting on the Ross Ice Shelf, he said.

“We want to know what's changing in their muscle that allows them to maintain normal function and exercise even without (further) oxygen.”

Weddell seals dive nearly half a kilometre up to 100 times a day. They can grow up to 3 metres long and weigh up to 600 kg.

While other species of the sea have similar capacities, Weddell seals were chosen for the study because of their predictable territorial habits and the lack of fear they exhibit toward humans.

From the U.S. McMurdo Base, the team will analyze their findings in labs based out the frozen desert. Their long-term goal is to find a way to develop therapies for treating people with cardio-vascular disease ultimately giving their systems a better chance to rebuild damaged areas after a heart attack or stroke.

Identifying what key proteins allow the seals to exercise without oxygen scientists can understand their mechanisms. This may later form the basis of therapies, said Dr. Hawke.

“If you could identify what are changing then you could almost be pre-emptive in your therapy so that when they do have their heart attack or stroke the tissue won't die any more,” he said.

In addition to web journals sanctioned by U.S. National Science Federation a sponsors of the expedition, Dr. Hawke will update a personal website to record his observations for a Canadian audience.