SpaceFlight certain human stem cells are aging faster, and a new study has been found to stimulate scientists’ understanding of the potential effects of space exploration on the human body.
Stem cells are found throughout the body, and they can do more from themselves or convert other specialized cells – including blood, brain or bone cells – for support and restoration.
“Space stem cells are shrinking,” said the head of the study, Catriona Jamieson, director of the Sanford Stamien cell Institute and a professor of medicine at the San Diego Medical School. “They actually reduce their ability to renew or renew, and that is important that you know how to know long -term space missions.”
The investigation, which was partly funded by NASA, was conducted during four international space supply missions of the SpaceX, which has been operating since 2021. By the end of 2023 The beginning of the beginning. A study published on Thursday in Cell Stem Cell.
“This is the first investigation examining how stem cells behave in space, low Earth’s orbit, in real time,” Jamieson added, noting that this type of research can have a direct effect on astronauts on health management ready to go into space.
“It is important to investigate the health of stem cells and find out who is likely to be able to withstand the difficulties of space – stress is stressed, stress and stress are being there.”
Insomnia in orbit
Researchers created a cell phone -sized device called a bioreactor to investigate stem cells in space, including AI observation tools. – Sanford stem cell institute
NASA conducted one of the first experiments on the effect of SpaceFlight on stem cells in 2010 using Space Shuttle Discovery. Called stem cell regeneration experiment, he investigated how microgravity affected the ability of mouse embryo stem cells to produce other types of cells.
In the new study, researchers examined bone marrow stem cells donated by patients undergoing hip replacement surgery. Stem cells directly connected to the immune system and blood health were placed on a sterile sponge matrix, considered to be specially designed bioreactors with a cell phone size. At the International Space Station, cells were constantly monitored by an artificial intelligence system that could have detected their state in real time.
“Our stem cells should fall asleep (inactive) 80% of the time to maintain all its function,” Jamieson said. However, this was not the case in space where microgravity and space radiation influenced their well -being.
“The stem cells woke up and did not return to sleep, and they were exhausted,” she added. “If our stem cells are exhausted in stress conditions such as microgravity, then they will not work properly immune systems.”
Some study cells survived up to 45 days of space flight, and because they were more active than usual, they burned through their energy reserves and showed signs of acceleration. Their ability to generate new cells was also reduced, and according to Jamieson, they began to activate normal hidden DNA branches called repetitive elements or “dark genome”.
“Under stress conditions, we are really stressful, we activate these repetitive elements,” Jamieson said. “These are retroviruses that have invaded our genomes thousands and thousands of years ago and make up 55% of our DNA. They send stem cells to death spiral. The cells just feel too much. They have a crisis. They grow too fast.”
This is similar to stem cell stress, which Jamieson, who is also a doctor, observes cells of patients with preleukemia. Jamieson is trying to stop these cells on their tracks until they become full -fledged leukemia, this type of blood cancer.
Jamieson, a veteran of space stem cell research, who has worked for nine missions so far, is planning future research to explore the practical responsibilities of the aging process.
“We can actually use these bioreactors or stem cell health avatars to anticipate who can follow it well, and what is probably very bad in space … And to develop responsibility,” she added, marking several upcoming clinical trials for possible drugs to neutralize the impact of this dark genome activity.
Good news is that stem cells can recover from accelerated aging when the astronaut returns to Earth, based on preliminary results of a separate, impending study, although recovery takes about a year.
Studies can also have a positive effect on cancer patients, as their stem cells make some same stress -related lesion that the new study found in stem cells in space. “I think this is an important tool for accelerating the rate of (cancer) research,” Jamieson said.
Clear evidence of aging
For astronauts, these data mean that long missions can weaken blood and immune systems that may increase health risk, said four cells biologist and Cedars-Sinai, a Cedars Medical Center, and Arun Sharma, an associate professor of biomedical sciences. Sharma, who did not participate in the study, agreed with Jamieson that findings could help scientists understand the aging process and create new treatments that slow down or change it.
The study provides strong evidence of potential damage that can be caused by radiation effects and microgravity on stem cells, emphasizing the potential health risk associated with long-distance space expeditions, said Luis Villa-Diaz, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Oakland, Michigan. Villa-Diaz also did not participate in research.
“The good news is that knowing the potential negative effects that low -earth orbits do (stem cells) in aging and function, give us instructions to solve these problems and create strategies to prevent these effects or neutralization, and maintain future exploration of space,” he added. “This often means biomedical progress, which can be applied to patients on earth.”
Previous studies of space stem cells show vulnerability in indirect or limited ways, and this study provides much clearer evidence of aging, said Elena Kozlova, Professor at the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology at the University of Upsala.
Kozlova, which was also not part of new studies, noted that not all stem cell research in space, directed in the same direction. Her own studies with early developmental stem cells on microgravity research rockets controlled by the Swedish Space Corporation have shown that growth -related genes have increased.
This conclusion, she added, states that, under certain conditions, even in some stem cell populations, even in some space flight, a more youthful state can lead to a more youthful state.
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