Microgravity, DNA Damage, and Cancer Research

Introduction

Understanding how DNA behaves under varying conditions is advancing research in cancer and aging. Nearly 20 million cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2022, underscoring the urgent need for deeper insights into DNA stability and damage repair mechanisms (WCRFI, n.d.).

Companies like Litegrav are moving cancer research forward with hardware and software built to simulate an array of extreme conditions, including microgravity.

DNA Changes in Microgravity

When cells are exposed to real or simulated microgravity, they can experience an uptick in genomic instability—an increased susceptibility to DNA damage that leads to mutations and cancer. To address this, cells activate specific repair pathways, which can vary by cell type (Clarke, 2022; Singh, 2024).

In HL-60 cells, microgravity prevents certain DNA repair systems from activating, particularly those that address single-strand breaks. However, it promotes pathways that repair double-strand breaks. This suggests that different cell types react uniquely to DNA damage in space-like conditions (Singh, 2024).

Microgravity’s Impact on Cancer

A recent study investigated how simulated microgravity affects the behavior of MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

After an initial incubation period, these cells were placed in a clinostat simulating microgravity for 24, 48, and 72 hours. Researchers observed changes in cell growth, movement, attachment, cell cycle, apoptosis (cell death), and the expression of vinculin—a protein needed for cell adhesion and movement that can influence a cancer cell's proclivity to detach from a original tumor and spread (Singh, 2021; Li, 2014).

Simulated microgravity had significant effects on each of these characteristics, offering insights into cancer proliferation (Singh, 2021).

New instruments, like the FLUMIAS microscope, have made studying live cells in microgravity possible. Researchers observed considerable changes in the structure of F-actin and microtubules within MCF-7 breast cancer cells, which quickly adapted to microgravity conditions. This research shed light on the early formation of structures like lamellipodia and filopodia, which facilitate cell movement and potentially encourage metastasis (Nassef, 2019).

In microgravity, breast cancer cells demonstrated increased activity in specific genes of interest, such as VEGFA and CXCL8, and a decrease in others, including VCL mRNA and the E-cadherin protein. These changes signal a shift toward invasiveness (Nassef, 2019). This aligns with an earlier study examining thyroid cancer cells under real and simulated microgravity, which revealed changes in cytokine release and gene activation (Ma, 2014).

In this study, thyroid cancer cells were exposed to microgravity on a space mission, while others were tested on Earth in a rotating device for 10 days. Researchers measured 128 immune proteins and found significant alterations in gene activity. Short-term microgravity influenced 63 genes, whereas long-term exposure affected 2,881 genes, influencing cell death, attachment, growth, and signaling (Ma, 2014).

Both real and simulated microgravity generally slowed cancer cell proliferation, though short-term exposure yielded the opposite result in some instances.

Impact on Normal Cells

Microgravity influences not only cancer cells but normal immune cells, such as lymphocytes. Studies have shown that in microgravity conditions, lymphocytes undergo functional changes associated with shifts in gene expression (Ward, 2006).

Using NASA’s Rotating Wall Vessel bioreactor to simulate microgravity, Ward et al. examined T lymphocytes isolated from blood donors. After two weeks of incubation, only activated T cells remained. These were then divided into two groups. Approximately 4–8% of analyzed genes changed, with 10 genes showing increased activity and 79 showing decreased activity in the veritas group (Ward, 2006). These findings may illuminate potential immune response alterations under space-like conditions.

Microgravity Research Propels Our Understanding Further

In recent years, DNA analysis technology on the International Space Station (ISS) has progressed considerably. Beginning in 2016, astronauts were able to amplify and sequence DNA in space using devices like miniPCR and MinION, enabling onboard identification of microbes and diagnostics without needing to return samples to Earth (Castro-Wallace, 2017).

In 2019, researchers performed the first CRISPR gene-editing experiment in space, allowing precise DNA modifications. This advancement, part of the “genes in space” program, enables scientists to study DNA damage, repair, and gene regulation in microgravity (NASA, n.d.).

These technological milestones reveal that microgravity research is crucial for understanding DNA changes and genomic stability. Not only does this research support safer long-duration space missions, but it also provides invaluable insights for cancer research that could improve treatment options on Earth. With the establishment of molecular labs aboard the ISS, more avenues open for ongoing biological and medical studies (NASA, n.d.).

What’s clear is that microgravity research here is fascinating and vital, holding promise for successful interplanetary travel and healthier people on Earth.  

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References and Works Cited

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