Space associated stem cell hallmarks of aging (SASHA) in astronauts

J Jessica Pham (1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States) S Shuvro Nandi (1UC San Diego, Medicine, La Jolla, United States) L Larissa Balaian (1UC San Diego, Medicine, La Jolla, United States) C Claire Engstrom (1UC San Diego, Medicine, La Jolla, United States) P Patrick Chang (2Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, United States) K Karla Mack (2Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, United States) I Inge Van Der Werf (1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States) E Emma Klacking (1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States) J Jenna Sneifer (1UC San Diego, Medicine, La Jolla, United States) N Neha Katragadda (1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States) K Kendale Wirtjes (1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States) A Antonio Ruiz (1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States) D Daisy Chilin-Fuentes E Elsa Molina (4The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Next Generation Sequencing Core, La Jolla, United States) P Pinar Mesci J Jana Stoudemire (2Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, United States) S Sheldon Morris (1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States) T Thomas Whisenant L Ludmil Alexandrov (3UCSD, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Bioengineering, La Jolla, United States) C Catriona Jamieson (1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States)

Abstract

Abstract Previous reports revealed immune dysfunction, chromosomal abnormalities, cytokine deregulation, and telomere length dynamics following prolonged spaceflight. However, the stress of space on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) that maintain lifelong hematopoiesis and immune responses was not studied. We performed HSPC functionally organized multi-omics aging (HSPC-FOMA) analyses in 7 astronauts before, during, and after short-duration ISS missions. Specifically, whole genome sequencing with telomere length, mitochondrial and clonal mutational profiling; whole transcriptome sequencing with RNA editing and retrotransposon analyses; single-cell RNA sequencing; cytokine arrays; and FACS-analyses were performed to assess HSPC and immune subpopulation survival dynamics. Overall, the observed space-associated stem cell hallmarks of aging, including spaceflight-dependent alterations in HSPC survival and self-renewal, adenosine deaminase associated with RNA1 (ADAR1), telomere maintenance, mobilization and cell cycle gene expression combined with space-associated clonal hematopoietic mutations, apolipoprotein B mRNA editing catalytic polypeptide-like (APOBEC3C) activation and retrotransposon deregulation warrant countermeasure development to enable long-duration spaceflight.

Article Details

Journal Blood
Volume / Issue Vol. 146, Issue Supplement 1
Published November 03, 2025
Pages 1383-1383
ISSN 0006-4971
Publisher Elsevier BV

Journal Info

Blood

Elsevier BV

ISSN: 0006-4971 Health Sciences

Authors (20)

J

Jessica Pham

1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States

S

Shuvro Nandi

1UC San Diego, Medicine, La Jolla, United States

L

Larissa Balaian

1UC San Diego, Medicine, La Jolla, United States

C

Claire Engstrom

1UC San Diego, Medicine, La Jolla, United States

P

Patrick Chang

2Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, United States

K

Karla Mack

2Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, United States

I

Inge Van Der Werf

1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States

E

Emma Klacking

1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States

J

Jenna Sneifer

1UC San Diego, Medicine, La Jolla, United States

N

Neha Katragadda

1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States

K

Kendale Wirtjes

1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States

A

Antonio Ruiz

1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States

D

Daisy Chilin-Fuentes

E

Elsa Molina

4The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Next Generation Sequencing Core, La Jolla, United States

P

Pinar Mesci

J

Jana Stoudemire

2Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, United States

S

Sheldon Morris

1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States

T

Thomas Whisenant

L

Ludmil Alexandrov

3UCSD, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Bioengineering, La Jolla, United States

C

Catriona Jamieson

1Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Departemnt of Medicine, La Jolla, United States