Tejal Somvanshi
Karmactive Staff
Scientists have discovered that space travel makes blood-forming stem cells age more quickly, potentially raising health concerns for astronauts on long missions. The breakthrough study, led by researchers at the University of California San Diego, tracked these vital cells during actual space missions.
Blood-forming stem cells, known scientifically as hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), are crucial for maintaining healthy blood and immune systems. These cells normally remain inactive most of the time, conserving their energy until needed to produce new blood cells.
The research team developed a special “nanobioreactor” device, about the size of a cell phone, to monitor stem cells during four SpaceX missions to the International Space Station between December 2021 and March 2023. Using artificial intelligence to track the cells in real time, they compared space-exposed samples with identical ones kept on Earth.
After just 32 to 45 days in space, the stem cells showed clear signs of accelerated aging:
- The cells became abnormally active, burning through their energy reserves
- Their ability to produce healthy new cells decreased
- They showed more DNA damage and shorter telomeres (protective caps at the ends of chromosomes)
- Their mitochondria (cellular power generators) showed signs of stress
- They began activating normally dormant sections of DNA called the “dark genome”
“Space is the ultimate stress test for the human body,” said Dr. Catriona Jamieson, director of the Sanford Stem Cell Institute at UC San Diego. “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.”
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The researchers identified microgravity (weightlessness) and galactic cosmic radiation as the key factors causing this accelerated aging. Interestingly, when these space-exposed cells were later placed in a healthy environment back on Earth, some of the damage began to reverse, suggesting possible ways to protect astronauts.
The study builds on previous NASA research, including the Twins Study where astronaut Scott Kelly spent nearly a year in space while his identical twin remained on Earth. While that study noted changes in gene expression and telomere length, this new research provides more detailed insight into how space affects specific cells.
The findings carry significance beyond space travel. Because the cellular changes resemble those seen in certain cancer patients, the research may help scientists better understand aging and disease processes on Earth.
“What we have learned about cancer from our studies in space is absolutely remarkable,” Jamieson noted. “Space experiments are so complex that they force you to do better science on the ground.”
The team is already working on follow-up studies, including a mission launched last month, to identify protective factors that might help astronauts maintain stem cell health during extended missions.
As space agencies prepare for longer missions, including potential trips to Mars, understanding and mitigating these cellular effects will be crucial for astronaut health and mission success.
