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Detection of DNA Damage by Space Radiation in Human Fibroblasts Flown on the International Space StationSpace radiation consists of energetic charged particles of varying charges and energies. Exposure of astronauts to space radiation on future long duration missions to Mars, or missions back to the Moon, is expected to result in deleterious consequences such as cancer and comprised central nervous system (CNS) functions. Space radiation can also cause mutation in microorganisms, and potentially influence the evolution of life in space. Measurement of the space radiation environment has been conducted since the very beginning of the space program. Compared to the quantification of the space radiation environment using physical detectors, reports on the direct measurement of biological consequences of space radiation exposure have been limited, due primarily to the low dose and low dose rate nature of the environment. Most of the biological assays fail to detect the radiation effects at acute doses that are lower than 5 centiSieverts. In a recent study, we flew cultured confluent human fibroblasts in mostly G1 phase of the cell cycle to the International Space Station (ISS). The cells were fixed in space after arriving on the ISS for 3 and 14 days, respectively. The fixed cells were later returned to the ground and subsequently stained with the gamma-H2AX (Histone family, member X) antibody that are commonly used as a marker for DNA damage, particularly DNA double strand breaks, induced by both low-and high-linear energy transfer radiation. In our present study, the gamma-H2AX (Histone family, member X) foci were captured with a laser confocal microscope. To confirm that some large track-like foci were from space radiation exposure, we also exposed, on the ground, the same type of cells to both low-and high-linear energy transfer protons, and high-linear energy transfer Fe ions. In addition, we exposed the cells to low dose rate gamma rays, in order to rule out the possibility that the large track-like foci can be induced by chronic low-linear energy transfer radiation.
Document ID
20170000778
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Presentation
Authors
Lu, Tao
(Houston Univ. Houston, TX, United States)
Zhang, Ye
(NASA Kennedy Space Center Cocoa Beach, FL, United States)
Wong, Michael
(Student Intern Houston, TX, United States)
Feiveson, Alan
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Gaza, Ramona
(Wyle Labs., Inc. Houston, TX, United States)
Stoffle, Nicholas
(Wyle Labs., Inc. Houston, TX, United States)
Wang, Huichen
(Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical Coll. TX, United States)
Wilson, Bobby
(Texas Southern Univ. Houston, TX, United States)
Rohde, Larry
(Houston Univ.-Clear Lake Houston, TX, United States)
Stodieck, Louis
(BioServe Space Technologies Boulder, CO, United States)
Karouia, Fathi
(Wyle Labs., Inc. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Wu, Honglu
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
January 25, 2017
Publication Date
January 23, 2017
Subject Category
Space Radiation
Aerospace Medicine
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-38584
Meeting Information
Meeting: NASA Human Research Program Investigators'' Workshop (HRP IWS 2017)
Location: Galveston, TX
Country: United States
Start Date: January 23, 2017
End Date: January 26, 2017
Sponsors: NASA Johnson Space Center, National Space Biomedical Research Inst. (NSBRI)
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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