ASTRONAUTS who travel to space deal with a variety of issues from defying gravity, including skin conditions.
It’s been found that those who travel to space could have altered gene behavior, and may also age sooner.
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But for dermatologists, studying skin cells in space could be a key to learning more about the aging process.
Studying the space environment for scientific advancement concerning skincare, and even oral care has grabbed the attention of toothpaste company Colgate-Palmolive.
With a recently launched skincare division, the company is taking advantage of the opportunity to study the space environment for skin research by utilizing the International Space Station (ISS).
According to a report from Mashable, Colgate-Palmolive put human skin tissue culture plates aboard a spacecraft to conduct their experiment.
The tissue is aboard a Northrop Grumman Cygnus Spacecraft, the Antares rocket, and departed from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia just after noon on February 19, according to Northrop Grumman.
The rocket is set to reach the International Space Station on either February 21 or 22 if all goes according to plan.
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Colgate-Palmolive will be running two experiments simultaneously – one in space and one on the ground, according to Mashable.
In an overview of the experiment posted on the NASA website, Colgate intends to study the effects of microgravity on skin aging and health using human skin cells.
“Any loss of functional or structural stability in skin is a potential source of other health problems as well,” Colgate said in the experiment overview.
The experiment involves a 3D human skin model, which will be exposed to the microgravity environment aboard the ISS.
The company will be evaluating the molecular blueprint of the skin model for markers indicating tissue stress levels and recovery responses.
By observing this, Colgate-Palmolive could find new biological pathways and gain a better understanding of how they are disrupted during aging.
Their goal is to use this information to establish a model that can be used to assess skin health interventions.
If all goes well, the experiment could lead to new anti-aging skin products.
Previous studies have been conducted to evaluate the effects of space travel on the skin, and the results have been startling.
Space crews have experienced a variety of skin conditions, including infections, dermatitis, frostbite, and even skin cancer. One study showed 33 out of 312 astronauts had a form of skin cancer, whereas only 27 of 912 control subjects on Earth had the same diagnosis.
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