The mice, launched to the International Space Station on a SpaceX rocket, were experimented on with a new muscle-enhancing drug.
Mutant mice sent to the International Space Station on a SpaceX rocket returned to Earth maintaining their significant muscle mass thanks to an experimental drug, scientists have revealed.
The research offers hope for astronauts who usually lose a significant amount of bone and muscle mass while in zero-gravity environments, as well as people on Earth confined to beds or wheelchairs. Scientists sent 40 young female black mice to the ISS last December, where they were tended to by astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch in an experiment with a novel treatment designed to prevent muscle and bone loss.The regular mice sent into space lost up to 18% of their mass due to the zero-gravity environment, according to the paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
But eight genetically engineered"mighty mice", with double the muscle of their fellows, managed to maintain their mass at a level comparable to mice which remained on Earth at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre.Even more startlingly, eight other normal mice that were not genetically engineered, but that were given doses of the"mighty mouse" drug, returned to Earth with dramatically bigger muscles.
Some of the ordinary mice that returned from the ISS in January were then injected with the drug after being brought back to the Kennedy Space Centre - and again quickly developed more muscle than mice which went untreated.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
This lower body workout targets every single leg muscleFrom quads to hamstrings – no leg muscle gets left behind.
Read more »
Asteroid news: ESA warns ’TWO MILLION' rogue space rocks remain undetectedASTEROID hunters at the European Space Agency (ESA) have detailed just how dangerous the solar system is after admitting almost nothing is known about the location of smaller-scale space rocks.
Read more »
Husband surprises wife with £1,600 12ft T-Rex in place of gnome she asked forAdrian Shaw from Leamington Spa, Warks, gave his wife Deborah the fright of her life as she discovered the mighty beast in their garden in the middle of the night
Read more »
Parkrun to resume in England in OctoberThe weekly mass participation Parkrun events are set to resume England by the end of October.
Read more »
Furlough must be extended or UK will face ‘second wave of mass job cuts’FRESH calls have been made for the furlough scheme to be extended over fears the UK could be hit with a “second wave” of redundancies. The coronavirus job retention scheme is due to end next month …
Read more »