Space is a tough place for living things. The harsh radiation and microgravity can speed up aging in surprising ways.
Catriona Jamieson, director of UC San Diego’s Sanford Stem Cell Institute, shares, “Time in space matters. Ten days? You’re okay. Twenty-one days? It gets tricky.” Her team works with NASA, sending stem cells to the International Space Station (ISS) to study how they react up there.
The findings are concerning. Stem cells face high stress in space, leading to increased division and mutations. This can result in bone marrow failure and a weakened immune system, making it harder to fight infections and even cancer.
Jamieson notes, “Space provides a unique environment for biological research. We see aging speed up in stem cells and humans.” A striking example is astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent about a year in space. Tests revealed that Scott aged faster than his twin brother, Mark, who stayed on Earth. Scott’s immune cells performed poorly, and he showed increased inflammation.
Moreover, research indicates that space accelerates cancer development. Jamieson states, “Cancer loves space.” In microgravity, cancer cells form and grow rapidly. For instance, tumors in space can triple in size within ten days, whether they are colorectal cancer or leukemia.
This rapid growth offers a valuable chance to study cancer in real time. Insights gained from these experiments have led to new treatments. The team has developed methods that aid in early cancer detection and timely intervention, helping to stop the disease before it can spread.
One promising avenue involves a drug called rebecsinib, which has shown the ability to block an enzyme that helps cancer cells multiply. Jamieson reports that clinical trials for rebecsinib have been approved by the Federal Drug Administration.
This research not only enhances our understanding of cancer but also highlights the unexpected ways space can influence biology. Exploring these effects could help us create better health solutions here on Earth. For more on this groundbreaking work, check out resources from NASA and the Sanford Stem Cell Institute.
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