Could the cell death of the “break” be the last border in medicine on earth and beyond?

The process of necrosis, a form of cell death, can represent one of the most promising means of modifying the course of human aging, diseases and even space trips, according to a new study carried out by researchers from the UCL, the Société de Découverte de drugs Linkgevity and the European Space Agency (ESA).

In the study, published in OncogenAn international team of scientists and clinicians explore the potential of necrosis – when cells die unexpectedly due to infection, injury or disease – to reshape our understanding and the treatment of age -related conditions.

Contesting the dominant views, the document brings together evidence of the biology of cancer, regenerative medicine, kidney disease and spatial health to affirm that necrosis is not simply a final point, but a key engine of aging which has an opportunity for intervention.

Dr. Keith Siew, an author of the study of the UCL Center for Kidney & Bladder Health, said: “No one really likes to speak of death, even of cell death, that is perhaps why death physiology is so bad. And in a way, necrosis is death. If enough cells die, then the fabrics die, then we are dying. would produce if we could take a break or stop necrosis. “

Dr. Carina Kern, principal author of the study and CEO of Linkgevity, a biotechnology company based on the Babraham research campus in Cambridge and part of the NASA spatial health program, said: “Necrosis remains one of the last borders in medicine – a common thread through aging, illness, spatial biology and scientific progress.”

Cells are the fundamental constituent elements of life and can die in various ways. The “programmed” forms of cell death are beneficial and carefully orchestrated processes which allow our fabrics to reconstruct themselves and work well throughout life.

But “unprogrammed” cellular death, or necrosis, is an uncontrolled and catastrophic process which leads to tissue degeneration and a biological decline.

At the center of the necrotic process is calcium, a vital resource that effectively controls the cell by determining which functions are activated or deactivated. Calcium ions are normally maintained at a level of 10,000 to 100,000 times higher outside the cell than inside.

When this finely adjusted balance fails, calcium floods the cell as an electric short circuit, pushing the cell in chaos. Unlike programmed death, where cells dismantle in order, necrosis causes cells, overthrowing toxic molecules in surrounding tissues.

This triggers a chain reaction which causes generalized inflammation and affects the repair of tissues, creating a snowball effect which finally leads to the fragility and the beginning of the chronic conditions linked to age such as kidney disease, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Siew added: “When cells die, it’s not always a peaceful process for neighbors.”

Dr. Kern explains: “Necrosis has hidden in sight. As a final stage of cell death, it has been largely neglected. But growing evidence shows that it is much more than a termination criterion. It is a central mechanism through which systemic degeneration occurs not only but also spreads. This makes it a critical point of convergence through many diseases.

“If we can target necrosis, we could completely unlock new ways of dealing with conditions ranging from renal failure to heart disease, neurodegeneration and even aging.”

It is especially in the kidneys that necrosis can have its most devastating and underestimated impact. Necrosis induces a kidney disease, which can cause renal failure requiring transplantation or dialysis. At 75, almost half of all individuals develop a certain degree of kidney disease as part of the natural aging process.

Dr. Siew added: “With a kidney disease, there is no underlying reason that the kidneys fail. This could be a lack of oxygen, inflammation, oxidative stress, an accumulation of toxins, etc.

“We cannot stop all these stressors, but if you could intervene at the point of necrosis, you will effectively get the same result.”

Another area where the interruption of necrosis could have a large impact is space theft, where astronauts often experience accelerated aging and a decline linked to the kidneys due to the effects of low gravity and exposure to cosmic radiation.

A 2024 study involving DR SIEW has shown that the human kidney can be the ultimate bottleneck for long -term space missions.

The authors say that finding solutions to this accelerated aging and a kidney disease can be the last border for the exploration of the human deep space.

Professor Damian Bailey, an author of the newspaper of the University of Southern Wales and president of the Life Sciences of the Life Sciences of the European Space Agency (ESA), said: “The targeting of necrosis offers potential not only to transform longevity on earth, but also to push the borders of space exploration. In space, the same factors that cause the land aggravated Cosmic radiotherapy and microgravity – degeneration vehicle. “

Dr. Kern has added: “In many age -related diseases – affecting various organs such as lungs, kidneys, liver, brain and cardiovascular system – cascades without any necrosis feed the progression of the disease. This is often next to the altered healing which leads to fibrosis, inflammation and damaged cells. Amplifies fibrosis, inflammation and cells

“If we could prevent necrosis, even temporarily, we closed these destructive cycles to their source, allowing normal physiological processes and cell division to resume – and potentially even allow regeneration.”

The document is an effort to collaborate by clinicians and institutions scientists, including the UCL medicine division, the Brigham and Women’s Hospital affiliated to the Harvard Medical School, the Mayo Clinic, the NASA Space Health Program, the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of South Wales and the European Space Agency.