Space Travel Accelerates Aging in Blood Stem Cells

Fluorescent Imaging of Human Stem Cells Cultured in Microgravity During NASA’s SpX-24 Mission
Image Credit Cell Stem Cell

A 2025 study in Cell Stem Cell by J. Pham and the NASA ISSCOR team found that spaceflight can speed up aging in human blood-forming stem cells, called hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Using AI-powered nanobioreactors, the researchers could monitor these stem cells in real time during space missions , giving new insights into how microgravity affects the body.

HSPCs are essential for making blood and immune cells, and their decline is linked to aging and disease. The study showed that space conditions make these cells age faster than cells on Earth, likely due to stresses like changes in cell signaling, oxidative stress, and DNA damage .

The nanobioreactors are tiny devices that continuously track stem cell health, allowing scientists to see changes that were hard to measure before. This technology could help develop ways to protect astronauts’ health on long missions.

The findings also matter for medicine on Earth. Learning how stem cells react to extreme conditions could improve treatments for age-related diseases and make stem cell therapies more effective.

As space missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond are planned, protecting stem cells will be key to keeping astronauts healthy. Nanobioreactors could help both space science and our understanding of aging and stem cell biology on Earth .

Reference:
Pham, J., et al. (2025). Nanobioreactor detection of space-associated hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell aging. Cell Stem Cell. https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909%2825%2900270-X