SpaceX's Inspiration4 astronauts got genetically younger in space: study

[Admin]

Scientists have found that the members of the first all-civilian space mission, Inspiration 4, got genetically younger during their stay in space. But the effects did not last long.

SpaceX's Inspiration4 astronauts got genetically younger in space: study : Read more

 

[newtons_laws]

The article said "For example, the researchers observed that markers indicating the aging of DNA decreased in space, making the crewmembers' DNA appear younger and healthier. Those markers, known as telomeres, are caps that protect chromosomes that are known to shorten with age and due to environmental factors and stress.

"We did see telomere elongation in all four of the crew members," Susan Bailey, a professor of radiation cancer biology and oncology at Colorado State University who led the research, said in a press conference presenting the papers on Monday, June 10. "It's really a remarkable finding in a number of ways and helps us solidify our findings."

The researchers think the telomere elongation is triggered as a protective response by exposure to the higher radiation environment of space. Similar effects have been measured in mountain climbers after they scaled the world's highest peaks. "

Well if the telerome elongation is caused by exposure to a higher radiation environment then this hypothesis could presumably be easily checked by looking at the teleromes of the thousands of classified radiation workers who receive higher radiation doses than the general population. That is a large statistical sample which would be expected to show such an effect if the hypothesis is correct.

 

[Unclear Engineer]

This "lengthening of telomeres" effect was measured only in blood samples? If so, then maybe it is not a lengthening of telomeres in the bone marrow cells that produce the blood cells, but instead an increase in the preservation of telomere length in the cells produced, instead of a reduction occurring in the process. So, perhaps the produced blood cells have longer telomeres when produced in space, compared to those produced on Earth, but the stem cells themselves do not have increased telomere lengths. That would help explain why the effect vanishes so quickly when the astronauts return to Earth, and also why the final result is still a reduction in the telomere length in blood cells. The stem cell telomere lengths might be getting reduced at the normal on-Earth rate or even faster while in space, but the product blood cells generation with enhanced telomere reproduction could swamp that effect on result based only on blood samples.

Just at thought, but one that I think needs to be addressed before jumping to conclusions about effects on cells that were not measured directly.

 

[danR]

"...fingerpick blood samples..."
*fingerprick

They didn't collect the blood samples by playing the banjo .