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Studies in mice and humans who have traveled through space reveal that critical parts of a cell’s energy-producing machinery, the mitochondria, can be rendered dysfunctional due to changes in gravity, radiation exposure and other factors, according to Georgetown investigators. Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. These findings are part of a large research effort across many scientific disciplines to examine the health effects of space travel. The research has implications for future space travel and how metabolic changes due to space travel could inform medical science on earth.
The results appeared on November 25, 2020 in Cell and are part of a larger research compendium on the health aspects of space travel that appears simultaneously in Cell, cell reports, cell systems, models, is iScience.
“My group’s research efforts focused on the muscle tissue of the mice that were sent into space and were compared with the analyzes of other scientists who have studied different mouse tissues,” says Evagelia C. Laiakis, PhD, professor Georgetown Associate of Oncology. “Although each of us have studied different tissues, we all came to the same conclusion: that mitochondrial function was negatively affected by space travel.”
In addition to studying the effects of space travel on cellular function, the scientists used a series of data from NASA’s decades of human flight experiments to correlate their animal results with those of 59 astronauts. They were also able to access data from NASA’s repository of biological samples that had flown into space to make further comparisons. The data from NASA’s Twin Study by Mark and Scott Kelly was particularly informative as it allowed a comparison of the health effects seen in an astronaut in space, Scott, with his earth-bound brother, Mark, who is an astronaut. retired. By comparing their mouse studies with human data, Laiakis and the team of researchers were able to determine that space travel led to certain metabolic effects:
- Isolated cells were negatively affected to a greater extent than whole organs
- The changes in the liver were more evident than in other organs
- Mitochondrial function was affected
Because space travel almost always exposes people to higher levels of radiation than could be found on earth, scientists knew that such exposure could damage mitochondria. This aspect of radiation exposure translates into health outcomes here on earth for cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. With this knowledge of the impact of radiation on mitochondria, doctors may in the future adapt radiation therapy in different ways to protect normal tissues. The implications for traveling to Mars are of particular concern, the researchers say, as this would result in a much longer time in space and therefore a long exposure to radiation.
“The launch of SpaceX earlier this month was very exciting,” Laiakis says. “From this and other planned adventures to the Moon and eventually Mars, we hope to learn a lot more about the effects spaceflight can have on metabolism and how to potentially mitigate the negative effects for future space travelers.”
Laiakis’ work on metabolomics was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute (P30 CA051008581).
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Materials provided by Georgetown University Medical Center. Note: The content can be changed by style and length.
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