May 9, 2012

Image Caption: Andr Kuipers on the International Space Station completing ESAs ROALD-2 biological experiment. Blood samples are frozen in the Space Stations freezer for preservation before being returned to Earth for analysis. Credits: ESA/NASA

New results from research on the International Space Station are offering clues on why astronauts immune systems dont work as well in space. The findings may benefit the elderly on Earth.

Astronauts suffer many types of stress adapting to weightlessness. For years, scientists have known that our immune system works less well in space, and trying to find the reason is a driving force for space research.

Researchers at the University of Teramo, the European Centre for Brain Research and the Santa Lucia Foundation have discovered that a particular enzyme, called 5-LOX, becomes more active in weightlessness.

The 5-LOX enzyme in part regulates the life expectancy of human cells. Most human cells divide and regenerate but the number of times they replicate is limited.

Could a change in 5-LOX enzyme activity affect astronauts health in space?

To find out, the researchers needed to test their theory in the only laboratory that can switch off gravity: the International Space Station.

Target locked on 5-LOX

Blood samples from two healthy donors were sent to the orbital outpost. One set was exposed to weightlessness for two days, while the other was held in a small centrifuge to simulate Earth-like gravity. The samples were then frozen and sent back to Earth for analysis.

Link:

Keeping Immune Cells Alive And Kicking Onboard The Space Station