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STEM CELL BIOLOGY

Space exploration and cancer: the risks of deeper space adventures

Leukemia volume 38, pages 1872–1875 (2024)Cite this article

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Over the past 60 years, the space missions have increased in duration, frequency, and extent, with astronauts leading these missions being exposed to a different environment away from Earth’s gravity and the atmospheric protection. On Earth, we are protected by its magnetic field and atmosphere; thus, we are only exposed to small amounts of galactic radiation (mainly neutrons and muons) that minimally affect our health. On the contrary, astronauts during missions can be in direct contact with various forms of radiation, variable gravity, and charged particles and muons with unknown effects and possible long-term consequences [1,2,3]. Among these consequences is a significantly increased risk of cancer despite existing spacecraft shielding, which is critically important to analyze as the Human Mars Missions are being planned.

Different types of radiation make up the space environment, including galactic cosmic radiations (GCR), solar particle events (SPE), and Earth’s trapped Radiation Belt [1, 2]. The interaction between the radiation and the vehicle may also result in intravehicular radiation [4]. The amount of exposure to these ionizing radiations depends on the type of the mission. For instance, astronauts with missions within the Van-Allen Belts in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) will mainly be affected but GCR and Earth’s trapped Radiation Belt, whereas deeper missions result in higher exposure to GCR and SPEs. GCR comprises high-energy particles, including protons, electrons, helium, and heavy ions. These charged particles, particularly the heavy ions, can produce linear energy transfer (LET) radiation. High-LET radiation can cause damage to human tissues and cells which is measured in RBE (relative biological effect). On the other hand, SPEs are related to solar activity and cycle, consisting of medium to high-energy protons [1, 2, 4].

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Funding

SKH Honoraria from Pfizer, Novartis. Janssen, Therakos Mallinckrodt, Sanofi and Roche.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Ibrahim N. Muhsen

  2. Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Jacksonville, FL, USA

    Abba C. Zubair

  3. Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City-Mayo Clinic Joint Venture, Abu Dhabi, UAE

    Abba C. Zubair

  4. University of Colorado Boulder, Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, BioServe Space Technologies, 429 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA

    Tobias Niederwieser

  5. Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Shahrukh K. Hashmi

  6. Department of Medicine, Sheikh Shakbout Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE

    Shahrukh K. Hashmi

  7. Medical and Clinical Affairs, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE

    Shahrukh K. Hashmi

Authors
  1. Ibrahim N. Muhsen
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  2. Abba C. Zubair
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Contributions

INM: Conceptualization, resources, writing original draft & review and editing subsequent drafts. ACZ: Resources and review and editing subsequent drafts. TN: Resources and review and editing subsequent drafts. SKH: Conceptualization, resources, writing original draft & review and editing subsequent drafts. All authors approved the final version of the draft.

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Correspondence to Shahrukh K. Hashmi.

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Muhsen, I.N., Zubair, A.C., Niederwieser, T. et al. Space exploration and cancer: the risks of deeper space adventures. Leukemia 38, 1872–1875 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-024-02298-4

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