Station Science Top News: Feb. 16, 2023
Researchers observed increases and decreases in functional connectivity between different brain regions after spaceflight, which they found may alter communication patterns within the brain. Some changes normalize after flight, demonstrating how adaptable or plastic the brain can be under extreme conditions. Results provide insight into the workings of the central nervous system and could help maintain function in astronauts on long missions.
The human brain evolved to function under 1 g. The ESA Brain-DTI investigation used advanced MRI to study changes in brain structure after spaceflight compared to controls on the ground. Because some of the changes were observed in brain network regions involved in nausea perception and greater autonomic response, these findings could contribute to improved treatment of autonomic disorders and motion sickness.
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Effects of space travel on brain function may partly be due to changes in distribution of brain proteins. However, researchers found no significant differences between the brain tissue of space-flown mice and those that remained on Earth. A three-day delay in collecting the space samples may have allowed the cells to readapt to gravity, highlighting the importance of our ability to return samples more quickly via splashdowns near Florida.
Rodent Research-1 provided various tissue samples from space-flown mice to researchers through NASA’s GeneLab. One team of scientists used the samples to examine the brain proteome, which is made up of proteins that regulate gene expression, vascular function, chemical production, and neural communication. Research on mice could lead to treatments and countermeasures for the effects of space on the brain, which include "space fog" and neurasthenia, a medical condition that causes fatigue.
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Malta’s first space experiment, Ice Cubes #9.2 Project Maleth 2, examined the effect of spaceflight on microbiomes in skin tissues from patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU), a common complication of Type 2 Diabetes. Results showed that some of the bacteria survive, adapt, and thrive better in space. This work could help researchers to better understand wound healing and develop ways to improve the immune system response to the stresses of space and diseases such as diabetes.
Malta’s population has a high prevalence of diabetes. For astronauts, space can cause skin dryness and thinning, leading to wounds vulnerable to infection. This research could shed light on bacterial adaptation and drug-resistant genetic changes, supporting better health for patients on Earth and astronauts. All data from the Malta experiment are available to researchers through NASA’s GeneLab.
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The space station provides an important platform for research on the human heart. For National Heart Month and Valentine’s Day, a feature article and video highlight this research and its contributions to heart and heart health.
Station heart studies show that microgravity increases production of cardiomyocytes from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), confirm that microgravity exposure causes significant changes in heart cell function and gene expression, and support testing of new drugs, which could reduce the time between discovery of a drug candidate and its clinical use.
