Spaceflight Microgravity as an Accelerated Model of Disease

This project uses a monocytic-macrophage cell line that has gene-expression reprogramming plasticity, and we previously deployed it aboard the International Space Station (with Earth controls). We study the effects of spaceflight conditions (e.g., microgravity) on genome-wide mRNA expression and their functional pathway attributes. The use of bioinformatics and molecular machine learning programs helps delineate biological insights into not only astronauts’ health but also illnesses that happen on Earth.

Significance: Knowledge gained from spaceflight-induced alterations in molecular networks can be used to develop accelerated models of diverse diseases, including those associated with aging. This single cellular model can reveal predicted disease-gene-drug interactions that can occur during spaceflight, including those involving cardiac, neurological, muscle, sensory disorders, and immune dysregulation. Translational Impact: Our model can be utilized as a translational platform for drug discovery targeting specific diseases on Earth.