Effects of space environments on aging rate and lifespan in C. elegans

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24620016
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 宇宙生命学
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology
• Principal Investigator: Honda Yoko 地方独立行政法人東京都健康長寿医療センター(東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所), 東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所, 研究員 (90399460)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HONDA Shuji 地方独立行政法人東京都健康長寿医療センター(東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所), 東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所, 研究員 (40100127)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 宇宙医学 / 線虫 / 老化 / 寿命

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Gravity has been an unchanging environmental factor, in which organisms have evolved their biological systems. As space missions are expanding toward manned exploration of, and colonization on, other planets than Earth, organisms including human will have to adapt to such environments for long-term survival. Microgravity during spaceflight have drastic effects on a variety of physiologic functions of mammals including muscle atrophy and bone loss. Some of these effects have been noted to resemble those observed during aging in humans. However, these changes are thought to be essentially reversible because these changes induced by spaceflight have been recovered after return to Earth. However, no reports have been found that examined the lifespan in any experimental animals that lived out their entire life in space. We are investigating the longevity effects of the exposure of Caenorhabditis elegans to space microgravity from the early adult age to death

Free Research Field

医歯薬学・基礎医学・環境生理学