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LS2-1 Factors Affecting Ecosystems
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LS1 1 DNA and Proteins
DNA Research: TWINS in Space
As an investigation into long-term space flight—including human missions to Mars—Scott Kelly spent a year in space on the International Space station and his twin mark remained on Earth. Scientists agreed that it wasn’t a definitive investigation because the brothers weren’t doing identical activities 24/7. However there were comparisons that could be made and probably more questions than answers from the time in space.
Mark Kelly had already spent a total of 54 days in space himself over four missions in low Earth orbit.
Aerospace CONNECTIONS:
NASA article Part 1
The opportunity to observe Scott (in space) and Mark (on the ground) at a fundamental biomolecular level is unique because they are identical twin brother astronauts. Around the turn of the 21st century we would have stated that they were genetically the same. Actually, it turns out that identical twins are not 100 percent identical. To a first order of approximation their DNA sequence is matched, but there are actually some small underlying genetic differences. Moreover, the biomolecules that are generated or “expressed” at the RNA, protein, and metabolite levels are quite different. This is due to the responses of each twin to the environment that they encounter at any given moment, as well as the experiences that have accumulated throughout their lifetimes.
We plan to look at both Mark and Scott’s molecular profiles at a fine, granular-level to see what is occurring with their genomes, transcriptomes, proteomes, metabolomes, etc. in space, relative to on the ground. Mark provides about as ideal of a control subject as one could imagine, because he is so close genetically to Scott. Starting in late 2014 we have been collecting biofluids and obtaining baseline measurements from Scott and Mark for the study. We will continue to collect samples from both twins following Scott’s return to Earth in early 2016.
Astronaut Mark Kelly, STS-124 commander, looking through the Earth observation window in the Japanese Experiment Module of the ISS during his 2008 mission. NASA PD
As with many scientific projects, the Twins Study is likely to raise more questions than answers. That said, we hope to have many tantalizing leads and interesting pieces of data to follow up on with more integrated omics research on larger numbers of astronauts.
To baseline the biomolecular profiles of both Scott and Mark, we obtained and safely stored blood, urine, saliva, and other biofluid samples. We also are performing a longitudinal study on Scott, by collecting samples while he was on Earth prior to launch, then following him throughout his space mission and again periodically for many months after his return. The same goes for Mark; we will perform a similar longitudinal study on him. For both twin astronaut brothers, we will track them over time, specifically for several years. In fact, we will be looking at Scott’s telomeres, as far out as 720 days after his landing in March 2016.
The results of this study won’t just impact the twins, but actually will have a lot to do with the rest of us living here on Earth. One of the things you may have noticed if you saw the President’s State of the Union speech was that Scott Kelly was in the First Lady’s boxed seating area. During his speech President Obama specifically mentioned the one year mission and cited the importance of the area of personalized or precision medicine that is rapidly emerging as a powerful new set of techniques within biomedical research and clinical practice.
Blog by Graham Scott Ph.D., is the Chief Scientist and Institute Associate Director at the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), NASA’s biomedical research institute
NASA article Part 2
personalized medicine involves the application of many sophisticated molecular and bioinformatics techniques. At a high level, it means that when you visit your doctor(s), they examine you and determine the best drug or therapeutic intervention based on your individual health and biomolecular profile, rather than what usually works for the general population. This approach views you as distinct from any other patient, and as such you receive care based on your unique genome. By obtaining and analyzing your genome, doctors can detect and characterize your individual genetic variants – and prescribe precision or personalized treatments accordingly.
This strategy of using genetic profiling to inform individualized treatments has become quite mainstream in the best cancer hospitals and leading medical schools. NASA and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) have the long-term goal of employing this personalized approach to mitigate the significant health risks that astronauts will face during deep space exploration missions. The Twins Study that involves the identical twin Kelly brothers, who happen to also be astronauts, is a pilot demonstration project that will collect and analyze integrated omics data – thereby laying the foundations for such a personalized or precision medicine approach.
Personalized medicine also applies to enabling future space exploration missions, such as an expedition to Mars, by making such a multi-year journey much safer. The crew will need to be highly self-sufficient or “autonomous” during that multi-year journey to and from the red planet. This includes sending each astronaut with the right drugs to effectively treat them as an individual, should they become ill. We want to also ensure that each crew member has tailored countermeasures available to them, to help them sleep or relax. Personalized medicine is a cutting-edge methodology to make space exploration as safe as possible for astronauts. It’s a strategy that allows us to harness the full arsenal of health advances that we’re seeing in our leading medical institutions and universities today.
NASA’s & NSBRI’s initiative may motivate the next generation of scientists, physicians, engineers and astronauts as they watch how omics studies are implemented as a precursor to deploying personalized medicine in space. In addition, these types of studies will help educate as well as address some of the ethical and philosophical questions that arise with genetics-based care.
We are carefully considering ethical considerations surrounding integrated omics studies. Astronauts are high profile public figures, but a person’s genome is unique and extremely private. In the hands of an expert, a person’s genome can infer a person’s susceptibility to developing certain diseases over the course of their lifetime. As you can imagine, this is not the kind of information an individual wants to publically disclose. Genetic information can also lead to inferences regarding the current or future health status of other close family members. In this way the findings and implications of an integrated omics study, such as the Twins Study, are not limited to the individual(s) being studied. Add to these considerations an astronaut’s fear of being grounded and prevented from participation in future space exploration missions, due to medical findings, and it is evident that a number of sensitive topics arise with integrated omics studies that must be thoughtfully addressed
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly handling the Rodent Research Facility aboard the International Space Station NASA PD
NASA is examining how to handle omics data and privacy concerns from the perspective of medical ethics. The Twins Study helps the agency begin to grapple with these potentially difficult and complex issues, including how to archive this type of genetic information, “mine” it responsibly, and develop and implement policies. To protect against the misuse of personal genetic information, NASA has put a strict information barrier in place between the research team and the flight surgeons whom are tasked with providing medical treatment to astronauts. This type of impermeable confidential barrier protects research subjects, and is a practice that may help mainstream terrestrial medicine evolve in regards to how sensitive genetic information should be treated.
These considerations are very important, because many people worry about how their own genetic information could potentially impact their lives, jobs, ability to procure life insurance, and their families. NASA and NSBRI are thinking through all of these concerns as they relate to the astronauts, providing a benchmark for the medical, research, and legal communities to consider.
We are not all going to travel to Mars, of course, but in the near future we are all likely to experience or observe the application of individualized medicine here on Earth. The use of omics data will help doctors here on Earth customize treatments and optimize care to the general public. The Twins Study is breaking new ground in this area of personalized medicine, and how we apply the concept in space can provide an informative example for leading institutions as they continue to transition into an individualized care approach.
By Graham Scott NASA
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Since Mark will not be a typical research control subject, meaning his environment and living habits will not mimic those of Scott’s on the space station, the research is considered observational in nature. There are no defined outcomes for the investigations; instead, this is a chance to compare data collected from genetically similar astronauts to observe the human effects of spaceflight.
Tentative plans for data collection on the twins currently include blood sampling on Scott at regular intervals before, during and after the one-year mission on the space station and corresponding blood sampling on Mark, who will otherwise be living his normal lifestyle in Arizona. Limited additional samples, such as saliva, cheek swabs, stool or additional blood, or psychological or physical tests will be considered only for study if they do not interfere with the primary investigations aboard the space station and will help identify one or more aspects of brief or long-term effects of spaceflight on humans.
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Proposed investigations should focus on the analysis of human molecular responses to the physical, physiological and environmental stressors associated with human spaceflight. Investigations should include multiple methods of study. One example would be the effects of the space environment on human DNA. Another may include changes in the small molecules in the blood, saliva, urine or stool as they are affected by astronaut diet, stress, weightlessness and other unique responses to spaceflight. Other methods of study for the twin comparison investigations are identified in the research announcement.
“The genetic revolution has reached space science and the space age,” asserts Charles. “This is an opportunity to explore and see what’s out there. We are prepared for any kind of suggestions that the scientific community presents that are peer-reviewed.”
A multitude of human research investigations currently are underway and are scheduled for upcoming expeditions aboard the space station by NASA and its international partners. The opportunity to compare the effects of spaceflight accumulated over one year and observe changes in the genetic makeup between twin brothers is new. These investigations could have lasting implications for protecting astronauts on deep space exploration missions, including travel to asteroids and Mars.
The data gathered from these investigations may also inform future human health studies on Earth by adding to current knowledge and practices in genetic research. Some investigations may study the impact of exposure to stress, radiation and life in a confined environment on the chemical compounds that tell a human cell what to do and when to do it. This information would be applicable to similar human exposures on Earth and may introduce new ways of thinking about genetic processes based on any genetic differences observed between the Kelly twins after the one-year mission.
Proposals for the NASA solicitation, “Differential Effects on Homozygous Twin Astronauts Associated with Differences in Exposure to Spaceflight Factors,” are due Sept 17. The estimated selection announcement for the chosen investigations will be January 2014.
Having this rare opportunity to study twin astronauts is expected to contribute significantly to HRP’s goals of risk reduction for human space exploration and also help identify new avenues for human health investigations in spaceflight. The Kelly twins will help NASA gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental changes in the human body during spaceflight. In the case of genetic investigations when it comes to spaceflight, two is definitely better than one.
Laura Niles
International Space Station Program Science Office
NASA’s Johnson Space Center
See a CNN Article on more of the DNA results:
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/14/health/scott-kelly-dna-nasa-twins-study/index.html
AND Links to other NASA files about the twin space study: https://www.nasa.gov/twins-study/articles
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NASA making synthetic DNA-like material with 8 informational units (DNA has 4) NASA Indiana SUniversity School of medicine PD