By 
September 5th, 2024
Image credit: NASA
A study has used advanced genetic technologies to examine changes in the gut microbiome, colons and livers of mice aboard the International Space Station over three months.
This research suggests that human spaceflight might suppress the immune system and alter metabolism. According to study research team, the work marks a breakthrough in understanding how space missions could affect astronauts’ health on long trips.
Given space exploration objectives of re-booting the Moon and marching off to Mars, major challenges are associated with longer duration spaceflight and habitation off-Earth.
International Space Station research includes use of Rodent Reseach-1 Hardware in the Microgravity Science Glovebox aboard the orbiting complex. New findings focus on gut bacteria and overall health of long duration human space travel.
Image credit: NASA
The research is led by a McGill University researcher in collaboration with University College Dublin, NASA’s GeneLab and an international consortium.
Rodent habitat
This newly published work offers the most detailed profile to date of how space travel affects gut microbes.
According to the research paper, the rodent habitat onboard the International Space Station has provided crucial insights into the impact of spaceflight on mammals, inducing symptoms characteristic of liver disease, insulin resistance, osteopenia, and myopathy.
“The immune system can be compromised by spaceflight, both in space and after return to Earth,” the paper points out. “Despite quarantine before flight, infection with influenza and Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been observed in astronauts. Up to 50% of astronauts also exhibit immunodeficiency upon returning to Earth, leaving them vulnerable to infection.”
International Space Station – on location research facility.
Image credit: NASA
Developing safeguards
“Spaceflight extensively alters astronauts’ bodies, yet we still don’t fully understand why,” said Emmanuel Gonzalez, lead author of the research published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes. Gonzalez leads microbiome bioinformatics at the McGill Centre for Microbiome Research and the Canadian Centre for Computational Genomics.
“By using advanced techniques to study both gut bacteria and genes at the same time, we’re beginning to see patterns that could explain those changes and help us develop safeguards for future missions,” Gonzalez said in a McGill University statement.
Down-to-Earth health issues
For those not ready for prime-time space travel, the research can also be tied to health issues here on Earth, adds University College Dublin researcher, Nicholas Brereton.
“These discoveries emphasize the vital connection between gut bacteria and overall health, Brereton said, “especially in how our bodies handle energy and metabolism. Understanding how spaceflight affects this delicate balance is crucial not only for astronaut health, but also for medical advancements here on Earth.”
To access the research paper – “Spaceflight alters host-gut microbiota interactions” – go to:
Posted in Space News
