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Genetic research

Space Travel Accelerates Ageing, Study Suggests

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A new study has found that astronauts experience accelerated ageing, with cells losing their ability to make healthy new cells and becoming more prone to DNA damage. The University of California sent stem cells to the International Space Station to investigate the impact of low gravity, and the results were alarming. Within two months, the cells had shown signs of accelerated ageing, including a decline in their ability to make healthy new cells, increased DNA damage, and shorter chromosome ends.

Key Takeaways:

  • Astronauts experience accelerated ageing, with cells losing their ability to make healthy new cells and becoming more prone to DNA damage.
  • The University of California sent stem cells to the International Space Station to investigate the impact of low gravity, and the results were alarming within two months.
  • The cells showed signs of molecular wear-and-tear, including DNA damage, shorter chromosome ends, and increased inflammation and stress.
  • The ability to make healthy new cells declined, and signs of molecular ageing were pronounced in the cells exposed to space flight.
  • The research was conducted using Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells, which are found in the bone marrow and circulating blood and continuously generate mature blood cells.
  • The study highlights the importance of understanding the impact of space travel on the human body as commercial space travel becomes more common.
  • The researchers suggested that it may be possible to rejuvenate ageing cells with the right interventions.

Statistics:

  • 90% of astronauts experience problems with bone and muscle loss due to microgravity.
  • 91% of genes are affected by microgravity, according to research carried out by the University of Surrey and the European Space Agency.
  • 5 times more astronauts who traveled into deep space on lunar missions died from cardiovascular disease than those who went into low orbit or never left Earth.
  • The cells showed a 25% decline in their ability to make healthy new cells after exposure to space flight.
  • The cells demonstrated increased DNA damage and shorter chromosome ends after exposure to space flight.

Sources:

  • "Space is the ultimate stress test for the human body," said Dr Catriona Jamieson, the director of the Sanford Stem Cell Institute and professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
  • The study was published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.
  • The research was conducted by the University of California and the Sanford Stem Cell Institute.
  • The study was previously funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
  • Research by the University of Surrey and the European Space Agency found that 91% of genes were affected by microgravity.
  • Nasa astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams returned to Earth after a nine-month stay in space, appearing years older than when they left.

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