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Wadhwa A, Moreno-Villanueva M, Crucian B, Wu H. Synergistic interplay between radiation and microgravity in spaceflight-related immunological health risks. Immun Ageing 2024; 21:50. [PMID: 39033285 PMCID: PMC11264846 DOI: 10.1186/s12979-024-00449-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Spaceflight poses a myriad of environmental stressors to astronauts´ physiology including microgravity and radiation. The individual impacts of microgravity and radiation on the immune system have been extensively investigated, though a comprehensive review on their combined effects on immune system outcomes is missing. Therefore, this review aims at understanding the synergistic, additive, and antagonistic interactions between microgravity and radiation and their impact on immune function as observed during spaceflight-analog studies such as rodent hindlimb unloading and cell culture rotating wall vessel models. These mimic some, but not all, of the physiological changes observed in astronauts during spaceflight and provide valuable information that should be considered when planning future missions. We provide guidelines for the design of further spaceflight-analog studies, incorporating influential factors such as age and sex for rodent models and standardizing the longitudinal evaluation of specific immunological alterations for both rodent and cellular models of spaceflight exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Wadhwa
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, 77058, USA.
| | | | | | - Honglu Wu
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, 77058, USA
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Jogdand A, Landolina M, Chen Y. Organs in orbit: how tissue chip technology benefits from microgravity, a perspective. FRONTIERS IN LAB ON A CHIP TECHNOLOGIES 2024; 3:1356688. [PMID: 38915901 PMCID: PMC11195915 DOI: 10.3389/frlct.2024.1356688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Tissue chips have become one of the most potent research tools in the biomedical field. In contrast to conventional research methods, such as 2D cell culture and animal models, tissue chips more directly represent human physiological systems. This allows researchers to study therapeutic outcomes to a high degree of similarity to actual human subjects. Additionally, as rocket technology has advanced and become more accessible, researchers are using the unique properties offered by microgravity to meet specific challenges of modeling tissues on Earth; these include large organoids with sophisticated structures and models to better study aging and disease. This perspective explores the manufacturing and research applications of microgravity tissue chip technology, specifically investigating the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Jogdand
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Maxwell Landolina
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Yupeng Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
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Graf J, Schulz H, Wehland M, Corydon TJ, Sahana J, Abdelfattah F, Wuest SL, Egli M, Krüger M, Kraus A, Wise PM, Infanger M, Grimm D. Omics Studies of Tumor Cells under Microgravity Conditions. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:926. [PMID: 38255998 PMCID: PMC10815863 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is defined as a group of diseases characterized by abnormal cell growth, expansion, and progression with metastasis. Various signaling pathways are involved in its development. Malignant tumors exhibit a high morbidity and mortality. Cancer research increased our knowledge about some of the underlying mechanisms, but to this day, our understanding of this disease is unclear. High throughput omics technology and bioinformatics were successful in detecting some of the unknown cancer mechanisms. However, novel groundbreaking research and ideas are necessary. A stay in orbit causes biochemical and molecular biological changes in human cancer cells which are first, and above all, due to microgravity (µg). The µg-environment provides conditions that are not reachable on Earth, which allow researchers to focus on signaling pathways controlling cell growth and metastasis. Cancer research in space already demonstrated how cancer cell-exposure to µg influenced several biological processes being involved in cancer. This novel approach has the potential to fight cancer and to develop future cancer strategies. Space research has been shown to impact biological processes in cancer cells like proliferation, apoptosis, cell survival, adhesion, migration, the cytoskeleton, the extracellular matrix, focal adhesion, and growth factors, among others. This concise review focuses on publications related to genetic, transcriptional, epigenetic, proteomic, and metabolomic studies on tumor cells exposed to real space conditions or to simulated µg using simulation devices. We discuss all omics studies investigating different tumor cell types from the brain and hematological system, sarcomas, as well as thyroid, prostate, breast, gynecologic, gastrointestinal, and lung cancers, in order to gain new and innovative ideas for understanding the basic biology of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Graf
- Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (J.G.); (H.S.); (M.W.); (F.A.); (M.K.); (P.M.W.)
| | - Herbert Schulz
- Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (J.G.); (H.S.); (M.W.); (F.A.); (M.K.); (P.M.W.)
- Research Group “Magdeburger Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Forschung unter Raumfahrt- und Schwerelosigkeitsbedingungen” (MARS), Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (A.K.); (M.I.)
| | - Markus Wehland
- Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (J.G.); (H.S.); (M.W.); (F.A.); (M.K.); (P.M.W.)
- Research Group “Magdeburger Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Forschung unter Raumfahrt- und Schwerelosigkeitsbedingungen” (MARS), Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (A.K.); (M.I.)
| | - Thomas J. Corydon
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; (T.J.C.); (J.S.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Jayashree Sahana
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; (T.J.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Fatima Abdelfattah
- Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (J.G.); (H.S.); (M.W.); (F.A.); (M.K.); (P.M.W.)
| | - Simon L. Wuest
- Space Biology Group, Institute of Medical Engineering, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, 6052 Hergiswil, Switzerland (M.E.)
| | - Marcel Egli
- Space Biology Group, Institute of Medical Engineering, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, 6052 Hergiswil, Switzerland (M.E.)
- National Center for Biomedical Research in Space, Innovation Cluster Space and Aviation (UZH Space Hub), University Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Krüger
- Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (J.G.); (H.S.); (M.W.); (F.A.); (M.K.); (P.M.W.)
- Research Group “Magdeburger Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Forschung unter Raumfahrt- und Schwerelosigkeitsbedingungen” (MARS), Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (A.K.); (M.I.)
| | - Armin Kraus
- Research Group “Magdeburger Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Forschung unter Raumfahrt- und Schwerelosigkeitsbedingungen” (MARS), Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (A.K.); (M.I.)
- Clinic for Plastic, Aesthetic and Hand Surgery, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Magdeburg, Otto von Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Petra M. Wise
- Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (J.G.); (H.S.); (M.W.); (F.A.); (M.K.); (P.M.W.)
- Research Group “Magdeburger Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Forschung unter Raumfahrt- und Schwerelosigkeitsbedingungen” (MARS), Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (A.K.); (M.I.)
- The Saban Research Institute, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
| | - Manfred Infanger
- Research Group “Magdeburger Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Forschung unter Raumfahrt- und Schwerelosigkeitsbedingungen” (MARS), Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (A.K.); (M.I.)
- Clinic for Plastic, Aesthetic and Hand Surgery, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Magdeburg, Otto von Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Grimm
- Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (J.G.); (H.S.); (M.W.); (F.A.); (M.K.); (P.M.W.)
- Research Group “Magdeburger Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Forschung unter Raumfahrt- und Schwerelosigkeitsbedingungen” (MARS), Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (A.K.); (M.I.)
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; (T.J.C.); (J.S.)
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