00:00Experts have long documented the effects of living in microgravity on the human body,
00:09finding it causes drastic changes to bones, blood, and more.
00:12Now scientists are looking to see just what effect being in orbit around Earth might have
00:16on a human's biological age.
00:19Astronauts suffer from muscle atrophy, a problem with their joint, with their bone, and also
00:26with the immune system.
00:27When we noticed this, we found that this is actually at some point similar to a different
00:32age-related disease.
00:34And this led us to ask the question, if the space might provide us with an accelerating
00:41aging model.
00:43This is Dr. Ghada Alsaleh, lead researcher on the project.
00:46They have now sent what they call organoid samples, or human cell analogs, up to the
00:50International Space Station, where they will now age and be observed.
00:54They will then be compared to a control set of organoid cells here on Earth.
00:57To define whether or not space ages cells at a faster rate, the researchers say their
01:02ultimate goal is to better understand the aging process in general, and to possibly
01:06discover ways to slow it down, not just for astronauts, but for all of us perpetual terrestrial
01:11dwellers as well.
01:13So I really focus to help people on Earth, but at the same time, would definitely help
01:17the astronaut not to age faster, and maybe to treat all this disorder that they have
01:24during their mission.
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