Nanoparticle Experiment Aboard ISS Seeks to Slow Aging

by Ryan Whitwam

There’s no fountain of youth to turn back time, but it might be possible to hold back the ravages of age just a little. An ESA experiment that just arrived on the International Space Station (ISS) will test nanoparticles as a way to clear the body of free radicals. That could prevent some of the cellular damage associated with aging, but it may also help astronauts on long-term space missions stay healthy.

There is no single cause of aging, but free radicals are a critical piece of the puzzle. A free radical is just a molecule with an unpaired electron in its outer shell. They’re highly reactive, meaning they will steal electrons from other molecules, which can cause them to stop working. Over time, that causes cellular damage known as oxidative stress that is associated with aging. It turns out, similar stresses affect astronauts in space.

Doctors advise people to make sure they get antioxidants like vitamin A, vitamin C, and beta carotene in their diets to neutralize some of those molecules. These substances can’t neutralize antioxidants forever, so you need to keep taking them. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Nano Antioxidants experiment will test a type of ceramic nanoparticle called “nanoceria” (the green specks above) to see if it can absorb free radicals for a longer period…