Not everything that glitters is time and doing extra earthly "tourism" could bring about not so pleasant situations, can be interpreted after the results of a recent study. The same reveals that space flights can cause loss of bone density, nerve inflammation and genetic alterations. NASA's landmark study reveals accelerated aging in twin astronauts.

The research shows that identical twin astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly showed distinct aging patterns depending on their location. While Mark remained on Earth, Scott spent 340 days in space, and the difference was significant.

Researchers found that stem cells age ten times faster in microgravity. This finding could have serious implications for long-term health.

The study was conducted amid growing interest in spaceflight, driving a need to understand its health risks. Moon missions and commercial flights raise new concerns about astronaut health.

Accelerated aging

According to a 2019 “twin study” published in the journal Science, some notable changes in Scott’s body, including DNA damage, reduced cognitive function, and shortening of the telomeres that cover and protect chromosomes, persisted even after six months.

Now, a study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell describes a new discovery: that stem cells also show signs of aging during the stress of spaceflight.

It highlights that stem cells age “10 times faster in space than on Earth,” according to Dr. Catriona Jamieson, director of the Sanford Stem Cell Institute at the University of California, San Diego, and senior author of the study.

Stem cell aging is potentially concerning because it slows the body's natural ability to repair its tissues and organs, which can lead to chronic, age-related diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and heart problems.

Study Methodology

Stem cells were collected and analyzed in CubeLabs, where the effects of space were compared to control samples on Earth. The samples were flown to the International Space Station for 32 to 45 days.

The space packages were launched during four SpaceX commercial resupply missions to the International Space Station, allowing the cells to remain for more than a month in microgravity, or weightlessness, in orbit.

“This is probably the most comprehensive analysis I’ve seen of some of the mutational hallmarks of spaceflight,” said Christopher Mason, a geneticist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York who was an author on the twin study but was not involved in the new research. “It’s definitely evidence of aging,” NBC News reported.

Ultimately, the new research could help researchers develop future therapies that benefit both astronauts and those who wish to remain on Earth by identifying new mechanisms of age-related disease, Jamieson said.

How Microgravity Affects It

Microgravity affects several aspects of human physiology beyond bone and cellular health, including:

These effects result from the lack of gravity and the resulting fluid redistribution, changes in intravascular pressure, and effects at the cellular and molecular level in the human body. Space medicine must confront these challenges in order to formulate appropriate countermeasures.