Even a 12 day trip on a shuttle can cause changes to an astronaut's DNA that could lead to cancer and heart disease - by AndyTomaswick
That isn’t necessarily cause for immediate alarm – in fact, CH doesn’t usually have symptoms associated with it. However, it indicates an increased risk factor for cardiovascular disease and blood cancer. And the somatic mutations the researchers found in the astronaut’s DNA were similar to those caused by ultraviolet radiation or specific chemicals.
Even more concerning, the most frequently changed gene was one responsible for producing a tumor-suppressing protein and is commonly associated with acute myeloid leukemia. However, even this change was below a standard threshold that doctors use to actually diagnose someone with CH. However, these astronauts were only in space for an average of 12 days. Longer missions, such as those to Mars or even a permanent based on the Moon, could lead to much more damaging effects that have yet to be studied. There have already been plenty of studies of Mark and Scott Kelly, two twin astronauts who acted as a controlled pair to study microgravity and spaceflight’s effects on the human body. The effects do not appear to be good.
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