New research shows that the treatment promoted bone growth in mice living at the International Space Station and back on Earth with no apparent adverse effects.
Fun as being nearly weightless might seem, the microgravity environment of space can have profoundly negative effects on our bodies if we stay up there too long. Our bones in particular actually depend on regular mechanical stress to stay healthy, much of which comes from fighting against Earth’s gravity. Without this stress, the body’s production of bone-building cells starts to slow down. Coupled, which can then raise the risk of fractures during the mission and possibly even later on in life.
Their earlier work had shown that a particular molecule called NELL-like molecule-1 plays a crucial role in helping us develop and maintain bone density. They then created a version of NELL-1 that could stay in the body longer without losing its effect, an important consideration for space travel given how busy astronauts can be during a mission. Lastly, they combined their NELL-1 with
bisphosphonate—a class of drugs already used to prevent bone loss—in order to better target bone tissue and hopefully avoid the side effects seen with typical bisphosphonate use.and land-dwelling mice, comparing them to controls. Some of the space mice only went up to the ISS for four-and-a-half weeks and returned back to Earth, while the rest stayed and were observed for nine weeks. Those on Earth enjoyed a stay at the Kennedy Space Center.
the authors are excited by the implications of their research and what it could mean for space travel.“Our findings hold tremendous promise for the future of space exploration, particularly for missions involving extended stays in microgravity,” said lead corresponding author Chia Soo in aIdeally, this treatment could even have other practical uses, the authors note. There are plenty of medical conditions on Earth that sap away our bone strength, such as severe osteoporosis.
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