Study Reveals Insights Into Muscle Atrophy in Astronauts
Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:
A new study by researchers at University of Galway and Arizona State University has provided important insights into muscle atrophy. The condition, which refers to a loss of skeletal muscle mass, is a pressing issue when it comes to astronauts working in space.
The unique environment of microgravity presents challenges to the body, particularly affecting muscles, bones and the immune system. In microgravity, muscles weaken over time, placing astronauts at an increased risk of muscle atrophy if they don't perform daily exercises.
However, researchers of the study have said that the latest findings could help to better spot and reduce muscle atrophy in astronauts.
The study was published in Nature Microgravity and investigated the molecular changes in muscle atrophy by looking at data from NASA's GeneLab, which is an open-access platform for biological spaceflight data.
[...] One of the key findings from the study concerned the impact of microgravity on glycosylation, a biological process for adding sugars to molecules like proteins and helps to stabilise them and influence their functions in the body. The study found that changes in glycosylation under microgravity could give scientists the upper hand in preventing muscle loss in astronauts by targeting these pathways.
Joshi, Stokes professor of glycosciences, explained that while these findings address an important issue for astronauts, it could also help medical professionals to address muscle atrophy back on Earth.
Muscle atrophy also affects aging populations, post-menopausal women and patients with chronic illnesses, such as cancer or heart disease," he said. Understanding how muscle loss occurs in space could lead to better treatments for these conditions on Earth."
Journal Reference: Oommen, A.M., Stafford, P. & Joshi, L. Profiling muscle transcriptome in mice exposed to microgravity using gene set enrichment analysis. npj Microgravity 10, 94 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00434-z
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