--- title: "New Research: Space Travel Hurts Cells That Fight Cancer" description: "Researchers at the University of Arizona found that astronauts who spent more than six months in space had fewer cells capable of fighting off leukemia." date: "2019-01-29" modified: "2019-01-29" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/cancer-risk-astronauts-long-missions" categories: - "Cancer" - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" tags: - "astronaut" - "astronaut health" - "cancer" - "international space station" --- # New Research: Space Travel Hurts Cells That Fight Cancer ![Researchers at the University of Arizona found that astronauts who spent more than six months in space had fewer cells capable of fighting off leukemia.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Cancer Risk Space is dangerous. And new research shows that it might cause cancer, too. Researchers at the University of Arizona studied eight blood samples of astronauts that spent around six months or more on the International Space Station and compared them to non-astronaut controls. The grim finding: space travel seems to hurt the astronauts' ability to fight off diseases including leukemia. ## "Natural Killers" The [NASA-funded research](), published in the *Journal of Applied Physiology,* found that the function of white cells responsible for fighting off common viruses and cancer cells — so-called "natural killer" (NK) cells — was significantly impaired among astronauts. After only 90 days in space, the astronauts' ability to fight off leukemia was reduced by 50 percent. While we've heard of the [cancer risks]() associated with space travel before, the researchers claim that this is the first study that demonstrated that risk *during* — and not just after — space flight. "What NASA and other space agencies are concerned about is whether or not the immune system is going to be compromised during very prolonged spaceflight missions," said Richard Simpson, senior author of the paper and professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Arizona, in an [official profile](). "Cancer is a big risk to astronauts during very prolonged spaceflight missions because of the exposure to radiation." ## Finding a Solution Simpson points out the team has yet to prove a direct link between the drop in NK-cell function and the astronauts' susceptibility to cancer. Other reasons for the drop could be higher levels of stress, microgravity, and radiation. Exercise and specialized nutrition have already been [shown to improve immune system function]() back on Earth, so Simpson and his team are hoping it could do the same in microgravity. But the research is an important first step toward finding what's causing the immune system to decline during space travel first. Only then will we find a solution — and eventually a way to stay healthy on long journeys to other worlds like Mars. **READ MORE:** [Does Spaceflight Impair Astronaut’s Ability to Fight Cancer and Viruses?]() \[*Discover Magazine*\] ***More on the health risks associated with space travel: [Space travel doesn’t seem to shorten astronauts’ lives, says study]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()