Astronauts on a future mission to Mars may not make it all the way to the Red Planet and back without kidney failure, new research has found.
While not typically considered one of the main dangers of space travel, a trip to Mars could alter the structure and function of astronauts’ kidneys, potentially leading to permanent damage, according to a new paper in the journal Nature Communications.
This damage would result from cosmic rays from the rest of the galaxy – known as Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCR) – which are high-energy particles that are usually absorbed by Earth’s magnetic field, protecting us on earth and partially shielding astronauts in low Earth orbit.
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However, during the long two-year round trip to Mars and back, the astronaut would be exposed to large amounts of GCR, which would damage his organs and DNA.
“If we don’t develop new ways to protect the kidneys, I would say that even if an astronaut could get to Mars, he might need dialysis on the way back. We know that the kidneys show signs of radiation damage late.” by the time this becomes apparent, it is probably too late to prevent a failure, which would be catastrophic for the mission’s prospects for success,” said study co-author Keith Siew, a researcher in the Department of Renal Medicine at University College London (UCL). declaration.
We’ve long known that space travel can lead to a myriad of health problems in astronauts, from bone loss to the development of kidney stones, but only a very small fraction of astronauts—those who traveled to the Moon—were exposed to the full force of GCR, and that was for less than two weeks. This means that until now we didn’t have much of an idea of what effects GCR would have on the human body.
In the paper, the researchers describe how they analyzed samples from humans and mice from more than 40 low-Earth missions and experimentally tested the effects of a Mars mission-equivalent dose of GCR on mice and rats.
They found that the kidneys of both mice and humans are “remodeled” by space conditions, causing changes in the way the kidneys process salts and an increased likelihood of kidney stones. However, these may be due to the effects of microgravity, or perhaps due to a combination of GCR and microgravity.
The researchers also found that the kidneys of mice exposed to conditions equivalent to a two-and-a-half-year trip to Mars were permanently damaged.
“We know what has happened to astronauts on the relatively short space missions that have taken place so far in terms of an increase in health problems such as kidney stones. We don’t know why these problems occur or what will happen to astronauts on longer flights like the one proposed mission to Mars,” said Siew.
The researchers emphasize that this question needs to be seriously considered before we send astronauts to Mars.
“Our study highlights the fact that kidneys really do matter if you’re planning a space mission. You can’t shield them from galactic radiation, but as we learn more about kidney biology, it may be possible to develop technological or pharmaceutical measures.” to facilitate extended space travel,” study author Stephen B. Walsh, professor at UCL’s Department of Renal Medicine, said in a statement.
“Any drugs developed for astronauts may also be beneficial here on Earth; for example, by enabling the kidneys of cancer patients to tolerate higher doses of radiotherapy, where the kidneys are one of the limiting factors.”
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