SPACE DOOM! Year In Space Put US Astronaut's Immune System On High Alert Compared To His Earth-Bound Twin

Year In Space Put US Astronaut's Immune System On High Alert Compared To His Earth-Bound Twin

Nearly a year in space put astronaut Scott Kelly's immune system on high alert and changed the activity of some of his genes compared to his Earth-bound identical twin, researchers said Friday. Scientists don't know if the changes were good or bad but results from a unique NASA twins study are raising new questions for doctors as the space agency aims to send people to Mars. Tests of the genetic doubles gave scientists a never-before opportunity to track details of human biology, such as how an astronaut's genes turn on and off in space differently than at home. One puzzling change announced Friday at a science conference: Kelly's immune system was hyperactivated. Source