The theory that the accumulation of stochastic damage to DNA is the initial cause of almost all the listed aging processes is supported by various results ( Niedernhofer et al., 2018). (2013), there are three families of distinctive signs of aging: (i) genomic instability caused by the deterioration of telomeres, epigenetic alterations, and loss of proteostasis (ii) the accentuation of the compensatory responses, first of all the increase in apoptosis, cell senescence, and mitochondrial imbalance (iii) finally, the exhaustion of stem cells and alteration in intercellular communication. The loss of homeostasis leads, sooner or later, to the development of pathologies typical, such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and alteration of cognitive functions ( Khan et al., 2017). Aging: Definition and CharacteristicsĪging is an inevitable decay due to the passage of time that involves a general progressive loss of homeostasis in various organs and in the whole body, causing the impairment of vital functions and increased vulnerability to death. We will focus mainly on the triggered oxidative imbalance and DNA damage that represent the common elements underlying both the detrimental effects induced by cosmic rays and the aging process. While being aware that astronauts are subjected to numerous stress factors, this minireview is concerning the effects induced by the heavy ions’ component of cosmic rays, that thanks to their high linear energy transfer (LET), they are able to induce biological effects that persist over time and are transmitted through the tissue. The presence of these typical features of aging is very intriguing, and the cellular pathways involved in both cases are investigated not only to minimize the health risk of space missions but also to bring insight on the age-related mechanisms. A detrimental effect often observed is indeed a state of frailty such as cardiovascular and cognitive disorders. In the hypothesis of exploration and settlement on the other planets, it is necessary to make long-duration space flights safer for astronauts. In this short review, we describe the biological mechanisms underlying cell senescence and aging the peculiar characteristics of HZE ions, their interaction with living matter and the effects on the organism the key role of mitochondria in HZE ion-induced health effects and aging-related phenomena. These changes that mimic aging but take place more quickly make space flights also an opportunity to study the mechanisms underlying aging. These cellular phenomena may explain why spending time in space was found to cause the onset of a series of diseases normally related to aging. HZE ions trigger in cells different responses initialized by DNA damage and mitochondria dysregulation, which cause a prolonged state of sterile inflammation in the tissues. HZE ions interact along their tracks with biological molecules inducing changes on living material qualitatively different from that observed after irradiation for therapeutic purposes or following nuclear accidents. The increasing duration of space missions involves a progressively higher exposure of astronauts to cosmic rays, whose most hazardous component is made up of High-Atomic number and High-Energy (HZE) ions. 2Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.1ENEA, Department of Energy and Sustainable Economic, Rome, Italy.Anna Giovanetti 1, Flavia Tortolici 2 and Stefano Rufini 2*
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