During space flight human physiology and health is affected by complex environmental challenges which might be most pronounced by extended periods during interplanetary missions. Adequate immune response is crucial to maintain health and is based on the interaction of lymphoid cells, inflammatory cells, and hematopoietic cells. To our knowledge the influence of stressful conditions of psychological or physical nature can activate and/or paralyse humans’ innate or specific immunity. Previous findings from terrestrial studies as well as from pre- and post-space flight studies and first preliminary data from the ISS indicate a strong interaction between stress-associated neuroendocrine mediators and the immune system. Moreover, this complex communication among immune cells is also mediated by tissue hormones e.g., derived from the cells metabolism (e.g., adenosine) and other hormone-like substances (endocannabinoids), altogether modulating the reactivity of immune cells.
The goal of this proposed Topical Team is to identify interdisciplinary approaches to analyse the impact of important variables and living conditions occurring in space or in future lunar habitats (e.g., confinement, weightlessness, different level of oxygen tension, radiation effects) and their interaction with the immune system.
Publications:
Specific Immunologic Countermeasure Protocol for Deep-Space Exploration Missions
Historically, serious illness of astronauts on orbit is rare, however clinical episodes requiring therapeutic intervention have occurred during International Space Station (ISS) missions at a noteworthy rate. Persistent exposure to the space environment exacerbates perturbations to the immune system. In support, the NASA “twins” study—an evaluation of a crewmember during a 1-year ISS mission—revealed significant changes between in-flight and non-flight time points in the gene expression patterns of several immune response pathways, DNA methylation patterns of genes that regulate T cell responses, and the signatures of plasma cytokines, to promote during spaceflight decreased cellular responsiveness and increased inflammation. Because future deep-space exploration missions will endure for an unprecedented amount of time, with increased magnitude of mission-associated stressors, it is reasonable to expect a higher incidence of morbidities. Previously, we published a comprehensive review of potentialcountermeasures to obviate the immune “problem” associated with spaceflight. Now, we present a specific and personalized immune countermeasure prescription for prospective astronauts embarking on deep-space voyage .
Authors: George Makedonas, Satish Mehta, Alexander Choukèr, Richard J. Simpson, Gailen Marshall, Jordan S. Orange, Serena Aunon-Chancellor, Scott M. Smith, Sara R. Zwart, Raymond P. Stowe, Martina Heer, Sergey Ponomarev, Alexandra Whitmire, Jean P. Frippiat, Grace L. Douglas, Stephanie S. Krieger, Hernan Lorenzi,15 Judith-Irina Buchheim, Geoffrey S. Ginsburg, C. Mark Ott, Meghan Downs, Duane Pierson, Natalie Baecker, Clarence Sams, and Brian Crucian