"In space, stem cells decline in function," Jamieson ."
"They actually reduce their ability to renew themselves or regenerate, and that's an important thing to be able to know for long-term space missions."
"It's important to study stem cell health and see who's likely to be able to withstand the rigors of space - it's stressful to get up, it's stressful to come down, and it's stressful to be up there," Jamieson told CNN."
""retroviruses that invaded our genomes thousands and thousands of years ago and represent 55 percent of our DNA," as Jamieson told CNN."
A cellphone-sized device on the International Space Station monitored human bone marrow stem cells to observe behavior in microgravity. Donated hip-replacement bone marrow stem cells aged faster aboard the station than matching samples on Earth, showing reduced ability to renew and regenerate. Activation of ancient retroviral DNA sequences — the 'dark genome', comprising roughly 55% of human DNA — drove stress responses that push stem cells toward functional decline and cell death. Accelerated stem cell aging threatens immune function and regenerative capacity during long missions, adding to known space-related risks like bone loss, cognitive changes, and vision deterioration.
Read at Futurism
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