Spaceflight accelerates the aging of human blood-forming stem cells, a new study has found, posing significant challenges for long-duration space travel.
Why it matters: The findings emphasize the profound effects of space on the human body and the need to develop strategies to mitigate these adverse effects, ensuring the sustainability of long-term missions in space.
The details:
- Scientists used artificial intelligence to track changes in stem cells delivered to the International Space Station.
- In space, these cells lost some of their ability to generate new cells, became more susceptible to DNA damage, and aged faster.
- The cells were more active than normal and struggled to rest and recover.
- Increased activity was observed in parts of the “dark genome” linked to stress responses and aging.
The study, partly funded by NASA, represents the first real-time investigation of how stem cells behave in low Earth orbit.
What they’re saying:
- “Space is the ultimate stress test for the human body. These findings are critically important because they show that the stressors of space — like microgravity and cosmic galactic radiation — can accelerate the molecular aging of blood stem cells,” said study co-author Catriona Jamieson.
- “Understanding these changes not only informs how we protect astronauts during long-duration missions but also helps us model human aging and diseases like cancer here on Earth,” Jamieson added.
The silver lining: Damage seen in the cells began to reverse when placed in a young, healthy tissue environment, suggesting the possibility of rejuvenating aging cells.
What’s next: The study’s findings could help researchers develop better protective measures for astronauts and provide insights into aging and diseases like cancer on Earth.
