Enzyme that could slow aging process in astronauts and elderly identified

Washington, May 1 (ANI): Scientists believe that a specific enzyme, called 5-lipoxygenase, plays a key role in cell death induced by microgravity environments, and suggested that inhibiting this enzyme will likely help prevent or lessen the severity of immune problems in astronauts caused by spaceflight.

Additionally, since space conditions initiate health problems that mimic the aging process on Earth, this discovery may also lead to therapeutics that extend lives by bolstering the immune systems of the elderly.

"The outcomes of this space research might be helpful to improve health in the elderly on Earth," said Mauro Maccarrone, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Teramo in Teramo, Italy.

"In fact, space conditions [cause problems that] resemble the physiological process of aging and drugs able to reduce microgravity-induced immunodepression might be effective therapeutics against loss of immune performance in aging people. 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors, already used to curb human inflammatory diseases, may be such a group of compounds," Maccarrone explained.

Maccarone and colleagues made this discovery by conducting experiments involving two groups of human lymphocytes that were isolated from the blood of two healthy donors.

The first group of lymphocytes was exposed to microgravity onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The second group was put in a centrifuge onboard the ISS, to have the same "Space environment" as the other group, but a normal Earth-like force of gravity.

When programmed cell death (apoptosis) was measured in both groups, the lymphocytes exposed to microgravity showed an increase above what is considered "normal."

The group exposed to the simulated Earth gravity showed no unusual differences. Specifically, the researchers believe that this difference is caused by different levels of the 5-lipoxygenase enzyme.

The study was published online in the FASEB Journal. (ANI)