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When astronaut Scott Kelly returned from a year-long trip aboard the International Space Station (ISS), lab tests revealed telomeric and pre-leukemic changes in his blood cells. These sorts of cellular changes had been observed in blood before, but only after decades of human aging.
Increasing evidence suggests that space and its lack of gravity can simulate and quicken aging in human stem cells, including those that give rise to blood cells. But understanding this process is not only useful for keeping astronauts healthy — it could also teach us how to prevent the effects of aging on Earth.
On November 22, 2022, the UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute will lead its first launch of hematopoietic (blood) stem cells into space. This is the third time stem cells have been launched onto the ISS as part of UC San Diego’s
