As human spaceflight seeks to expand beyond low-Earth orbit, NASA and its international partners face numerous challenges related to ensuring the safety of their astronauts, including the need to provide a safe and effective pharmacy for long-duration spaceflight. Historical missions have relied upon frequent resupply of onboard pharmaceuticals; as a result, there has been little study into the effects of long-term exposure of pharmaceuticals to the space environment. Of particular concern are the long-term effects of space radiation on drug stability, especially as missions venture away from the protective proximity of the Earth. Here we highlight the risk of space radiation to pharmaceuticals during exploration spaceflight, identifying the limitations of current understanding. We further seek to identify ways in which these limitations could be addressed through dedicated research efforts aimed toward the rapid development of an effective pharmacy for future spaceflight endeavors.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41526-019-0076-1 | DOI Listing |
Exp Physiol
January 2025
Department of Biology, Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Cerebrovascular regulation is critically dependent upon the arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide ( ), owing to its effect on cerebral blood flow, tissue , tissue proton concentration, cerebral metabolism and cognitive and neuronal function. In normal environments and in the absence of pathology, at least over acute time frames, hypercapnia is usually managed readily via the respiratory chemoreflex arcs and/or acid-base buffering capacity, such that there is minimal impact on cerebrovascular and neurological function. However, in non-normal environments, such as enclosed spaces, or with pathology, extended exposures to elevations in can be detrimental to cerebral health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFViruses
December 2024
JES Tech, Human Health and Performance Directorate, Houston, TX 77058, USA.
Many biological markers of normal and disease states can be detected in saliva. The benefits of saliva collection for research include being non-invasive, ease of frequent sample collection, saving time, and being cost-effective. A small volume (≈1 mL) of saliva is enough for these analyses that can be collected in just a few minutes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAerosp Med Hum Perform
December 2024
Introduction: Facial expression perception is the process by which someone can interpret the emotion of another individual using their facial cues. Below-average scores on tests designed to measure facial expression recognition (FER) accuracies are associated with inappropriate behavioral responses and are often linked to mental or neurological disorders. Head-down bed rest microgravity analog studies show changes in facial emotion processing that may indicate a behavioral health risk during spaceflight.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo assess the impact of microgravity exposure on ocular rigidity (OR), intraocular pressure (IOP), and ocular pulse amplitude (OPA) following long-term space missions. OR was evaluated using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and deep learning-based choroid segmentation. IOP and OPA were measured with the PASCAL Dynamic Contour Tonometer (DCT).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiology (Basel)
November 2024
Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BIND), Institute of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
In recent years, the increasing number of long-duration space missions has prompted the scientific community to undertake a more comprehensive examination of the impact of microgravity on the human body during spaceflight. This review aims to assess the current knowledge regarding the consequences of exposure to an extreme environment, like microgravity, on the human body, focusing on the role of heat-shock proteins (HSPs). Previous studies have demonstrated that long-term exposure to microgravity during spaceflight can cause various changes in the human body, such as muscle atrophy, changes in muscle fiber composition, cardiovascular function, bone density, and even immune system functions.
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