Astronaut’s DNA no longer matches his identical twin after year in space

[editor]

This is intriguing stuff!

Astronaut Scott Kelly’s DNA was altered by a year in space, results from NASA’s Twins Study have confirmed. Seven percent of his genes did not return to normal after he landed, researchers found.

Scott Kelly and his twin brother, Mark Kelly—also an astronaut—were the subjects of the study that sought to find out exactly what happens to the body after a year in space.

Scott stayed on the International Space Station from March 2015 to March 2016, while Mark remained on Earth. This was the final mission for Scott, who spent a total of 520 days in space during his career.

Researchers studied Scott in space psychologically and physiologically, comparing his results to those of his Earthbound brother. They looked at various proteins and evaluated the twins' cognition as part of the overall study. Ten research teams presented their preliminary findings last year at NASA’s Human Research Program2017 Investigators' Workshop (IWS). The recent 2018 IWS saw these findings confirmed. Researchers also presented data from Scott’s time back on Earth.

The researchers linked space travel to oxygen deprivation stress, increased inflammation and striking nutrient shifts that affect gene expression. Some of these changes went back to normal within hours of landing on Earth. A few, however, still affected Scott six months after his return.

In 2017, researchers discovered that the endcaps of Scott Kelly’s chromosomes—his telomeres—had become longer while he was in space. Further testing confirmed this change, and revealed that most of the telomeres had shortened again within just two days of his return.

After landing, 93 percent of Scott Kelly’s genes returned to normal, the researchers found. The altered 7 percent, however, could indicate long-term changes in genes connected to the immune system, DNA repair, bone formation networks, oxygen deprivation and elevated carbon dioxide levels.

A year in space altered this man's DNA

 

[Pickman's model]

maybe it's for the best i never achieved my childhood dream of becoming an astronaut.

 

[8ball]

 

[Pickman's model]

yeh, don't let squirrelp near this thread

 

[not-bono-ever]

A new life awaits you in the off-world colonies! A chance to begin again in a golden land of opportunity and adventure!... errr not any more

 

[NoXion]

Increased telomere length could still make space colonisation worthwhile, as it has positive implications for lifespan. Especially since part of the objective of this kind of research is find ways of combatting the negative health impacts of long-term operations in space.

 

[trabuquera]

just a thought: has anyone been doing longterm follow up on the children of astronauts, conceived after the astronauts got back to Earth?

 

[8ball]

Increased telomere length could still make space colonisation worthwhile, as it has positive implications for lifespan. Especially since part of the objective of this kind of research is find ways of combatting the negative health impacts of long-term operations in space.

I've been long out of the game re: this area, but couldn't increased telomerase activity be a side-effect of some DNA damage mechanism (most likely radiation) stimulating DNA repair in general, and so just a sign of deleterious effects, as opposed to anything possibly beneficial? It might make sense in conjunction with the increased inflammation markers, too.

 

[Idaho]

Increased telomere length could still make space colonisation worthwhile, as it has positive implications for lifespan. Especially since part of the objective of this kind of research is find ways of combatting the negative health impacts of long-term operations in space.

Longer telomeres indicate lower cancer risk or lower replicative sonnesance don't they?

 

[NoXion]

I've been long out of the game re: this area, but couldn't increased telomerase activity be a side-effect of some DNA damage mechanism (most likely radiation) stimulating DNA repair in general, and so just a sign of deleterious effects, as opposed to anything possibly beneficial? It might make sense in conjunction with the increased inflammation markers, too.

Could be, and would be consistent with the fact that telomere length returns to normal once back on Earth. But that would also be consistent with free-fall conditions leading to longer telomeres.

Longer telomeres indicate lower cancer risk don't they?

I'm not sure, but I would suspect that might be counterbalanced by increased radiation exposure. However, radiation exposure is something that can be managed through shielding.

 

[8ball]

Longer telomeres indicate lower cancer risk or lower replicative sonnesance don't they?

Senescence?

But no, it was once thought thus, but the picture has gotten a lot more complicated.

 

[8ball]

Could be, and would be consistent with the fact that telomere length returns to normal once back on Earth. But that would also be consistent with free-fall conditions leading to longer telomeres.

I'm finding it hard to think why micro-gravity would lead to longer telomeres, but I guess there are a lot of changes going on in the body when you're up there.

 

[8ball]

Interesting link suggesting they were expecting, or usually find that, telomeres shorten in space.
Unsure from a cursory Google if it's the same piece of research:

NASA - Assessing Telomere Lengths and Telomerase Activity in Astronauts

 

[Fez909]

I'm finding it hard to think why micro-gravity would lead to longer telomeres, but I guess there are a lot of changes going on in the body when you're up there.

Relativistic effects.

They didn't get longer. They stayed roughly the same while his twin brother's got smaller because he was aging faster on Earth.

Space twin just got a bit of extra life for free

#dodgyscience

 

[8ball]

Relativistic effects.

They didn't get longer. They stayed roughly the same while his twin brother's got smaller because he was aging faster on Earth.

Space twin just got a bit of extra life for free

#dodgyscience

That's one fast rocket!

Hypothesis slightly ruined by 'space twins' telomeres shortening within a couple of days of being back on earth.

 

[Fez909]

Hypothesis slightly ruined by 'space twins' telomeres shortening within a couple of days of being back on earth.

Like that's the only problem with my #dodgyscience

 

[Yossarian]

Are they going to do experiments on this guy to find out if the freaky identical twin telepathy still works?

 

[wayward bob]

 

[Idaho]

Senescence?

But no, it was once thought thus, but the picture has gotten a lot more complicated.

My spelling is so bad that auto correct doesn't even recognise what it could be.

 

[MikeMcc]

The headline is a bit misleading. The DNA itself is relatively unchanged, a 7% change in the DNA coding would result in Scott Kelly becoming an entirely different species! What changed was the gene expressions, how the chromosomes react in differing circumstances and what proteins and RNA are produced because of that. What the study has show is that Scott Kelly's immune system (in particular) has not recovered as quickly as they expected. Changes in gene expression were expected, but being able to quantify them has been difficult compared to this particular experiment. Weightlessness, exposure to higher levels of radiation, differences in diet, differences in exercise regimes, and a whole host of other factors will affect gene expression.

 

[T & P]

He’ll have developed acid for blood before this decade’s out, mark my words.