Lettuce genetically engineered to produce bone-building hormones could help keep astronauts healthy during long missions.
Genetically modified lettuce can prevent loss of bone density in astronauts in space. Photo: Kevin Yates
Osteoporosis is a common problem when people spend a long time in a microgravity chamber environment. Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) need to exercise at least 2 hours a day and take anti-osteoporosis drugs to limit their effects. But on longer missions like manned flights to Mars, they need powerful bone-forming injections, which shrink cargo space.
Researcher Kevin Yates of the University of California, Davis, and colleagues used soil bacteria to transfer the gene that makes parathyroid hormone (PTH) to lettuce. This hormone is often used as a drug that stimulates bone formation. The team examined a series of genetically modified lettuce plants and observed that most samples provided 10 to 12 milligrams of PTH per kilogram. Astronauts need to supplement the required amount of PTH by eating 280 g of lettuce per day.
Yates’ team thinks they can improve on the initial results announced March 22 at the American Chemical Society’s spring 2022 conference in San Diego, California. They hope that producing drugs from space plants will become the norm on future missions. “This is a way of thinking and solving problems in space exploration,” said Yates.
Andrea also predicts that this type of lettuce can be used to treat osteoporosis for millions of people on Earth. However, according to researcher David Reid of the University of Aberdeen, UK, the use of tissue-building hormones such as PTH may not be necessary because there are many drugs that help prevent a gradual decline in bone density.
a khang (Based on New Scientist)
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