Bone loss study takes flight
Astronauts lose a significant amount of bone mass during space travel and with long-duration flights there is concern that this bone loss could lead to an increased risk of fractures. When the final mission of NASA’s 30-year Space Shuttle program is launched on Friday (July 8), an animal experiment to test a novel therapy to increase bone mass will be on board. Led by a consortium of scientists from Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Amgen Inc., UCB, BioServe Space Technologies, and the University of North Carolina, and funded by NASA’s Ames Research Center, the research will not only address a serious problem that affects astronauts who spend weeks and months in a low-gravity environment, but may also yield novel insights into the prevention and treatment of skeletal fragility among patients on Earth who are less active due to aging or illness. “Mechanical loading is required to maintain musculoskeletal health,” explained...