A study from the United States shows that gene activity in men is more easily disrupted after space travel and takes longer for them to return to normal once back on Earth.
American astronauts Christina Koch (left) and Jessica Meir. (Photo: NASA).
The research, led by Professor Christopher Mason from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, found that women exhibit greater endurance than men during space missions, with female astronauts recovering more quickly upon their return to Earth.
“Men are more affected during space travel, and the level of impact occurs for almost all types of cells and is evident in every metric,” according to a report published in the journal Nature Communications regarding the effects of space flights on the human immune system.
To draw this conclusion, Professor Mason’s team examined how the immune system responded in two men and two women during SpaceX’s civilian Inspiration4 mission orbiting Earth in 2021. The collected data was compared with data from 64 other astronauts.
The results showed that gene activity in men is more susceptible to disruption than in women and that it takes longer for men’s bodies to return to normal levels upon returning to Earth. One of the proteins affected is fibrinogen, which plays a key role in blood clotting.
“Up to this point, the aggregated data shows that gene responses and immune responses are more sensitive in men,” the researchers noted.
While further studies are needed to confirm this trend, the team of experts believes these new findings could be utilized in the selection process for astronauts in future missions to the Moon and beyond.
