Spacefarers Get Older Faster

How many science fiction stories, or for that matter how often have we seen in the movies that if you were rich and old you could go into space and live longer.  It was supposed to be easier on the cardie-vascular system, but that does not seem to pay out in real life.

In this IO9 article  going into space actually accelerates the aging process!  Here is what it says in black and white:

•  a new study shows that microgravity environments speed up biological aging and the onset of cardiovascular disease by affecting blood vessel cells.

We have known for some time that a micro-gravity environment promotes, muscle atrophy, bone density loss, immune response impairments - and now it would seem cardiovascular problems.    It has been known for some time that micro-gravity can damage  eyes and brain and can even cause something very much like idiopathic intracranial hypertension or brain swelling!

But aging?  Really?  Yep, according to a recent study by the Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology - micro-gravity can cause the accelerated aging of endothelial cells which line the inner surfaces of blood vessels.

 A research team from the Institute of Molecular Science and Technologies in Milan determined 

• analyzing experiments conducted on the International Space Station. They compared space-flown endothelial cells to cells cultured under normal gravity. They looked for differences in gene expression and in the profile of secreted proteins. The researchers discovered that the space-flown cells differentially expressed more than 1,000 genes 

Check out the complete article here

Single gene deletion boosts lifespan

According to news@nature.com

Researchers have created a mutant mouse that lives longer despite eating more and weighing less — all thanks to the loss of a single protein. Without this protein, the body is less susceptible to the heart-pounding effects of the hormone adrenaline, and may become more resistant to some forms of stress. Scientists are already developing drugs to inhibit this protein, called type 5 adenylyl cyclase (AC5). Drugs that block adrenaline signalling, called beta-blockers, are known to help patients who have had heart attacks or suffer from an irregular heartbeat. As the researchers revealed in 2003, mutant mice lacking AC5 were more resistant to heart failure caused by pressure within the heart. But in the process, the research team also realised that the mutant mice lived longer than their normal counterparts.

Thanks to Shaun A. Saunders for the post