Clemson space research aids cancer patients
What helps astronauts will ultimately help millions of people on this
planet, says a Clemson bioengineer.
Seeking to prevent bone loss in orbiting astronauts and irradiated
cancer patients, Clemson University researchers in the Osteoporosis
Biomechanics Lab (www.batemanlab.com)
study the effects of spaceflight and therapeutic radiation on the
skeletal system. While radiation therapy can improve chances for
survival, it also places cancer patients at greater risk for bone
loss and fractures. A recent study published in the Journal of the
American Medical Association confirms that radiation therapy for
cancer increases a patient’s risk of broken bones, such as
hip fractures, later in life.
“We now know that cancer patients who receive radiation are
at an even greater risk for bone loss and fractures than the average
population,” said Clemson professor of bioengineering Ted Bateman.
“As survivor rates for cancer patients improve, we need to address
secondary effects of radiation therapy, such as bone loss, that will
impact quality of life long term.”
The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI www.nsbri.org)
is funding the current radiation study, with parts of the research
being conducted at Clemson University and at the Kennedy Space Center
in Florida.
In current studies at Kennedy Space
Center, Clemson professor of bioengineering, Ted Bateman (left)
and his team, mimic solar flares and clinical radiation exposure,
then measure bone loss in mice. Their goal is to understand this
loss and develop therapies to improve health in space as well as
on the ground.
|
