In a framework that sees man getting ever closer to the planet Marsin which the need to know the impacts of long-term space travel on human health appears increasingly urgent, a new study by researchers atUCL sheds light on the impacts of space travel on astronauts’ kidney structure and function. According to the results, published on Nature Communicationslong space journeys cause serious alterations in the kidneys, with the galactic radiation that they can cause permanent damagesuch as to put any mission on at risk Mars.
The work fits into the context of an increasingly broad literature documenting the health impacts of long-term space travel, with numerous analyzes investigating the effects due to extreme conditions of space flight, including a recent study reported in Nature Communications, which associated space travel with a compromise of the immune system, due in particular to the reduction of gravity. The search forUCL It is the largest to date to examine the condition of kidneys during spaceflight. That space travel causes health problems has been known since the 1970s, after the landing on moon from 1969.
Common conditions include bone loss, weakening of the heart and vision, and the development of kidney stones. According to scientists, many of these conditions are due to exposure to space radiation, such as solar winds and galactic cosmic radiation, or GCR, coming from deep space; for the men on the Earth This radiation is not a danger, which is thanks to the Earth’s magnetic field, which provides protection. So far, no study has delved into the changes that might occur in the kidneys and other organs as a result of conditions encountered during space travel, beyond the Earth’s magnetic field and for long periods. In the study, funded by WellcomeSt Peters Trust e Kidney Research UK, or KRUK, the team of scientists conducted a series of experiments and analyzes to study the kidney’s response to spaceflight. This included biomolecular evaluationsphysiological and anatomical using data and samples from 20 study cohorts.
Samples from beyond were included 40 space missions in low Earth orbit, with humans and mice, most of them on the International Space Station, as well as 11 space simulations with mice and rats. Seven of these simulations involved exposing mice to doses of GCR simulated equivalent to Martian missions 1.5 and 2.5 years, reproducing space flight beyond the Earth’s magnetic field. The findings found that both human and animal kidneys are ‘reshaped’ by space conditions, with specific kidney tubules, responsible for fine-tuning calcium and salt balance, showing signs of shrinkage after less than a month in space . According to the researchers, the likely cause is microgravity rather than the GCR, although further research is needed to determine whether the interaction between microgravity and GCR can accelerate or worsen these structural changes. Previously, it was hypothesized that the main cause of kidney stone formation during space missions was solely due to microgravity-induced bone loss, which leads to calcium accumulation in the urine. The UCL team’s research indicates, however, that the way the kidneys process salts is fundamentally altered by spaceflight and is likely to be a major contributor to the formation of kidney stones.
The most alarming discovery, at least for any astronaut considering a three-year journey on Mars, is that the kidneys of mice exposed to radiation simulating GCR for 2.5 years suffered permanent damage and loss of function. “We know what happened to astronauts involved in relatively short space missions, in terms of increased health problems such as kidney stones,” he said Keith Siewfirst author of the study London Tubular Centrebased in Department of Renal Medicine of UCL. “What we don’t know is why these problems occur, nor what will happen to astronauts on longer flights, as in the case of the proposed mission to Mars,” he continued Siew. “If we don’t develop new ways to protect the kidneys, an astronaut returning from Mars may need dialysis,” Siew noted. “We know that kidneys are slow to show signs of radiation damage; by the time this becomes apparent, it is probably too late to intervene, which would be catastrophic for a mission’s chances of success,” Siew highlighted.
According to the authors, although the results highlight serious obstacles for a potential mission on Mars, problems need to be identified before solutions can be developed. “Our study highlights the fact that if you are planning a space mission, the kidneys are really important,” he stressed Stephen B. Walshsenior author of the study from the London Tubular Centre, UCL Department of Renal Medicine. “It is not possible to protect astronauts from galactic radiation with shielding, but as we learn more about kidney biology it may be possible to develop technological or pharmaceutical measures to facilitate prolonged space travel,” Walsh continued. “THE drugs developed for astronauts they could also be useful here on Earth, for example by allowing the kidneys of cancer patients to tolerate higher doses of radiotherapy, the kidneys being one of the limiting factors in this regard,” added Walsh.
