2023-09-28 16:48:05
Humans on Earth typically lose bone tissue as they age, but in space, lower levels of gravity reduce the stress on bones that causes them to grow. Microgravity causes astronauts to lose up to 1.5% of their bone mass per month, and while exercise can help increase pressure on bones, this process may be ineffective for affected astronauts, and may not prevent complete bone loss for astronauts. For completely healthy people. The solution to the problem of bone density loss in space. In a new study, published on September 18 in the journal “npj Microgravity,” a group of scientists reported that a drug called “BP-NELL-PEG” succeeded in reducing bone loss caused by spaceflight without causing any side effects. Side effects in mice on the International Space Station. The mice that received the drug showed an increase in bone density, while its density decreased in a group of mice sent to settle on the International Space Station for the same period without this substance being introduced into their bodies. “Our findings hold good news for the future of space exploration, especially for missions that involve long stays in microgravity,” said study co-author Dr. Chia Su, a plastic surgeon at UCLA. “We chose NELL-1 because it is one of the few molecules that not only reduces bone loss, but may also be able to restore already lost bone,” Su added. The study demonstrated that this protein enhances the activity of cells that form bone tissue, while inhibiting cells that break down bones and stimulating processes associated with bone repair. The drug is scheduled to be trialled on humans to treat adults undergoing surgery for degenerative disc disease, where spinal discs wear away over time. As part of the SpaceX CRS-11 mission in 2017, 20 mice were sent to the International Space Station, while 20 mice were kept Earthside at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In both groups, half of the mice received BP-NELL-PEG and the other half received saline. After 9 weeks, mice treated in space and on Earth showed a significant increase in bone formation. In contrast, untreated ISS mice showed reduced bone formation, while bone density of mice that did not receive the drug on Earth remained at stable levels.
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