Skip to main content

Review of NASA's Biomedical Research Program (2000) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:

7 Immunology and Microbiology
Pages 46-50

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.


From page 46...
... Although there can be little doubt after 20 years of work that immune responses are altered after exposure to spaceflight conditions, the physiological and medical significance of these spaceflight-induced changes for crew health remains unknown. There have been only limited reports of difficulty with infections during or after spaceflight, and infectious diseases have not been a major issue.
Read the entire page →
From page 47...
... NASA'S CURRENT RESEARCH PROGRAM IN IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY In FY 1999, nine grants for immunology and microbiology (including funding for the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI)
Read the entire page →
From page 48...
... Emphasis Given to Fundamental Mechanisms The NSBRI group and NASA-funded investigators have begun studies on fundamental mechanisms involved in spaceflight-induced alterations in immune responses, using cell culture, human, and rodent models. These include studies on the mechanisms of immune cell function and the mechanisms of the effects of rodent hindlimb unloading on delayed hypersensitivity.
Read the entire page →
From page 49...
... Ground-based experiments with the rat hindlimb-unloading model and simultaneous spaceflight experiments showed generally similar immunological changes, except for leukocyte subset distribution (Sonnenfeld et al., 1992~. Rodent hindlimb unloading is currently being used by NSBRI investigators to examine resistance to viral infections.
Read the entire page →
From page 50...
... SUMMARY The immunology and microbiology program has begun to develop priorities in accordance with those suggested in the Strategy report for ground-based experiments using animal models prior to the development of spaceflight studies. The extensive use of models by the programs, including animal models such as hindlimb unloading of rodents, tissue culture in the rotating cell vessel apparatus, and analogue environments such as isolation and polar overwintering, should permit critical testing of mechanistic hypotheses in space.
Read the entire page →

Key Terms

  • strategy report
  • animal models
  • respiratory tract
  • tract infections
  • spaceflight conditions

  • hindlimb unloading
  • space biomedical
  • rodent hindlimb
  • national space
  • microbiology program

  • testing regimen
  • stabilization program
  • nasa research
  • health stabilization
  • sciences program

  • biomedical significance
  • cell culture
  • total funding
  • biennial space
  • hpa axis

  • program tasks
  • medical evaluation
  • cell function
  • fundamental mechanisms
  • immune cell

  • immune parameters
  • flight experiments
  • experiments using
  • apollo program
  • evaluation requirements


    • This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
    More information on Chapter Skim is available.