A new study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has examined how T cells of the immune system are affected by weightlessness.
Reviewed by Danielle Ellis, B.Sc.Aug 25 2023 The results, which are published in the journal Science Advances, could explain why astronauts' T cells become less active and less effective at fighting infection.
If astronauts are to be able to undergo safe space missions, we need to understand how their immune systems are affected and try to find ways to counter harmful changes to it. We've now been able to investigate what happens to T cells, which are a key component of the immune system, when exposed to weightless conditions."
In the study, the researchers have tried to simulate weightlessness in space using a method called dry immersion. This involves a custom-made waterbed that tricks the body into thinking it is in a weightless state. The researchers examined T cells in the blood of eight healthy individuals for three weeks of exposure to simulated weightlessness. Blood analyses were performed before the experiment started, at 7, 14 and 21 days after the start, and at 7 days after the experiment ended.
Related Stories"The T cells began to resemble more so-called naïve T cells, which have not yet encountered any intruders. This could mean that they take longer to be activated and thus become less effective at fighting tumour cells and infections.
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