“If astronauts have flown for six months, and their skeletons have become weak during the journey, they may suffer significant health problems when they get to Mars, even though the gravity there is less than that on earth. “It’s particularly important when we send people to Mars,” said Dartnell. Real Black Bear Phalanges Finger Paw Bone Necklace Bear Paw Necklace Real Bear Bones Bear Taxidermy Gothic Bear Necklace Spirit Animal. Levels of bone-regenerating cells, called osteoblasts, also fell significantly, from 2% before hibernation to just 0.15% during hibernation.Īccording to the researchers, these changes show that black bears are able to maintain their skeletal structure and strength by suppressing bone loss during hibernation, rather than by generating new bone material.įinding a solution to bone degeneration is seen as a crucial challenge for long distance space travel. Two other enzymes known to contribute to new bone generation, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSALP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP) fell when the bears were hibernating. The researchers found that levels of a protein called cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART), which reduces the quantity of bone minerals being broken down into the blood, increased 15-fold during hibernation. The scientists studied 13 female bears between 20, collecting blood and bone samples before, during and after hibernation and measuring enzyme and hormone levels. Our next step is to understand how these proteins and enzymes get turned down by a bear’s brain to reduce bone loss,” said McGee-Lawrence.
“We know that hibernation is controlled by the brain. The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, found that bears are able to suppress the process of calcium release through the changes in levels of two specific enzymes. “If we can look to nature and try to understand how existing biological systems, such as those in hibernating black bears can overcome bone loss, we can use this knowledge to protect our own species in space.” he added. “Astronauts spend a huge amount of their time strapped to running machines with bungees, but it’s not particularly effective,” he said.
The condition can be a limiting factor for the length of missions that astronauts can endure.Įxercise has been used as the main strategy to overcome, this but has limited success, according to Dr Lewis Dartnell, an astrobiologist at the University of Leicester. Astronauts on the Mir space station, for example, lost on average 1-2% of their bone mass each month. One of the major side-effects of prolonged weightlessness is spaceflight osteopenia, a condition where reduced stress on the bones triggers bone loss. This is due to the body responding to inactivity by decreasing bone formation and increasing calcium release, leading to bone loss and increased risk of breaks and fractures. Reduced movement in humans, and other mammals, can cause significant health problems.
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