According to findings of the NASA Twins study published in the journal Science, Scientists have found no long-lasting, major epigenetic differences in astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a year in space aboard the International Space Station (ISS), and his twin brother, Mark Kelly, who remained on Earth.
About:
Experiment: The Twins Study by NASA involves studying identical twin astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly. Scott went to the international space station (ISS) in 2015 for 340 days. His identical brother Mark remained on the Earth as a control subject.
Objective: Because the twins share the same genetic code, any observed differences could be linked to Scott's time aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This can show how an extended stay in space may impact the human body.
Findings:
Spaceflight can definitely trigger changes in the human body. But the vast majority of these changes disappear within just a few short months of returning to Earth.
Living in a microgravity environment can: damage DNA; impact the way thousands of individual genes are expressed; increase the length of telomeres (the shielding caps that protect the ends of our chromosomes); thicken artery walls etc.
Significance: The Twins Study is a stepping stone towards long duration space exploration such as journeys to Mars.
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