Microgravity and Immune Cells

Overview

Journal J R Soc Interface

Specialties Biology
Biomedical Engineering
Biophysics

Date 2023 Feb 15

PMID 36789512

Authors

Hongfang Lv

Huan Yang

Chunmei Jiang

Junling Shi

Ren-An Chen

Qingsheng Huang

Dongyan Shao

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The microgravity environment experienced during spaceflight severely impaired immune system, making astronauts vulnerable to various diseases that seriously threaten the health of astronauts. Immune cells are exceptionally sensitive to changes in gravity and the microgravity environment can affect multiple aspects of immune cells through different mechanisms. Previous reports have mainly summarized the role of microgravity in the classification of innate and adaptive immune cells, lacking an overall grasp of the laws that microgravity effects on immune cells at different stages of their entire developmental process, such as differentiation, activation, metabolism, as well as function, which are discussed and concluded in this review. The possible molecular mechanisms are also analysed to provide a clear understanding of the specific role of microgravity in the whole development process of immune cells. Furthermore, the existing methods by which to reverse the damage of immune cells caused by microgravity, such as the use of polysaccharides, flavonoids, other natural immune cell activators etc. to target cell proliferation, apoptosis and impaired function are summarized. This review will provide not only new directions and ideas for the study of immune cell function in the microgravity environment, but also an important theoretical basis for the development of immunosuppression prevention and treatment drugs for spaceflight.

Citing Articles

Immunization induces inflammation in the mouse heart during spaceflight.

Veliz A, Hughes L, Carrillo D, Pecaut M, Kearns-Jonker M BMC Genomics. 2025; 26(1):229.

PMID: 40065216 PMC: 11892206. DOI: 10.1186/s12864-025-11426-y.

Oxidative Stress on the Ground and in the Microgravity Environment: Pathophysiological Effects and Treatment.

Zhang X, Zhu H, Zhang J Antioxidants (Basel). 2025; 14(2).

PMID: 40002415 PMC: 11852023. DOI: 10.3390/antiox14020231.

Lunar and Martian gravity alter immune cell interactions with endothelia in parabolic flight.

Du Y, Han B, Biere K, Abdelmalek N, Shu X, Song C NPJ Microgravity. 2025; 11(1):4.

PMID: 39900929 PMC: 11791073. DOI: 10.1038/s41526-024-00456-7.

Challenges for the human immune system after leaving Earth.

Marchal S, Chouker A, Bereiter-Hahn J, Kraus A, Grimm D, Kruger M NPJ Microgravity. 2024; 10(1):106.

PMID: 39557881 PMC: 11574097. DOI: 10.1038/s41526-024-00446-9.

Dynamic cellular responses to gravitational forces: Exploring the impact on white blood cell(s).

Murali A, Sarkar R Biomicrofluidics. 2024; 18(5):054112.

PMID: 39445310 PMC: 11495877. DOI: 10.1063/5.0216617.

References

Pellis N, Goodwin T, Risin D, McIntyre B, Pizzini R, Cooper D . Changes in gravity inhibit lymphocyte locomotion through type I collagen. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim. 1997; 33(5):398-405. DOI: 10.1007/s11626-997-0012-7. View

Kim G, Oh Y, Park Y . Acidic polysaccharide isolated from Phellinus linteus induces nitric oxide-mediated tumoricidal activity of macrophages through protein tyrosine kinase and protein kinase C. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2003; 309(2):399-407. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2003.08.018. View

Kaufmann I, Schachtner T, Feuerecker M, Schelling G, Thiel M, Chouker A . Parabolic flight primes cytotoxic capabilities of polymorphonuclear leucocytes in humans. Eur J Clin Invest. 2009; 39(8):723-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2362.2009.02136.x. View

Thiel C, de Zelicourt D, Tauber S, Adrian A, Franz M, Simmet D . Rapid adaptation to microgravity in mammalian macrophage cells. Sci Rep. 2017; 7(1):43. PMC: 5427920. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00119-6. View

Adrian A, Schoppmann K, Sromicki J, Brungs S, von der Wiesche M, Hock B . The oxidative burst reaction in mammalian cells depends on gravity. Cell Commun Signal. 2013; 11:98. PMC: 3880029. DOI: 10.1186/1478-811X-11-98. View

Cogoli A . Signal transduction in T lymphocytes in microgravity. Gravit Space Biol Bull. 1997; 10(2):5-16. View

Tanaka M, Tonouchi M, Hosono T, Nagashima K, Kanosue K . Hypothalamic region facilitating shivering in rats. Jpn J Physiol. 2001; 51(5):625-9. DOI: 10.2170/jjphysiol.51.625. View

Sonnenfeld G, Shearer W . Immune function during space flight. Nutrition. 2002; 18(10):899-903. DOI: 10.1016/s0899-9007(02)00903-6. View

Abel A, Yang C, Thakar M, Malarkannan S . Natural Killer Cells: Development, Maturation, and Clinical Utilization. Front Immunol. 2018; 9:1869. PMC: 6099181. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01869. View

10.

Racine R, Cormier S . Effect of spaceflight on rat hepatocytes: a morphometric study. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1992; 73(2 Suppl):136S-141S. DOI: 10.1152/jappl.1992.73.2.S136. View

11.

Lewis M, Cubano L, Zhao B, Dinh H, Pabalan J, Piepmeier E . cDNA microarray reveals altered cytoskeletal gene expression in space-flown leukemic T lymphocytes (Jurkat). FASEB J. 2001; 15(10):1783-5. DOI: 10.1096/fj.00-0820fje. View

12.

Zhao T, Tang X, Umeshappa C, Ma H, Gao H, Deng Y . Simulated Microgravity Promotes Cell Apoptosis Through Suppressing Uev1A/TICAM/TRAF/NF-κB-Regulated Anti-Apoptosis and p53/PCNA- and ATM/ATR-Chk1/2-Controlled DNA-Damage Response Pathways. J Cell Biochem. 2016; 117(9):2138-48. DOI: 10.1002/jcb.25520. View

13.

Tascher G, Gerbaix M, Maes P, Chazarin B, Ghislin S, Antropova E . Analysis of femurs from mice embarked on board BION-M1 biosatellite reveals a decrease in immune cell development, including B cells, after 1 wk of recovery on Earth. FASEB J. 2018; 33(3):3772-3783. DOI: 10.1096/fj.201801463R. View

14.

Hayden M, Ghosh S . NF-κB, the first quarter-century: remarkable progress and outstanding questions. Genes Dev. 2012; 26(3):203-34. PMC: 3278889. DOI: 10.1101/gad.183434.111. View

15.

van Eeden S, Terashima T . Interleukin 8 (IL-8) and the release of leukocytes from the bone marrow. Leuk Lymphoma. 2000; 37(3-4):259-71. DOI: 10.3109/10428190009089427. View

16.

Banchereau J, Steinman R . Dendritic cells and the control of immunity. Nature. 1998; 392(6673):245-52. DOI: 10.1038/32588. View

17.

Herberman R, Nunn M, HOLDEN H, LAVRIN D . Natural cytotoxic reactivity of mouse lymphoid cells against syngeneic and allogeneic tumors. II. Characterization of effector cells. Int J Cancer. 1975; 16(2):230-9. DOI: 10.1002/ijc.2910160205. View

18.

Sciola L, Cogoli-Greuter M, Cogoli A, Spano A, Pippia P . Influence of microgravity on mitogen binding and cytoskeleton in Jurkat cells. Adv Space Res. 2001; 24(6):801-5. DOI: 10.1016/s0273-1177(99)00078-2. View

19.

Saito T, Yokosuka T, Hashimoto-Tane A . Dynamic regulation of T cell activation and co-stimulation through TCR-microclusters. FEBS Lett. 2010; 584(24):4865-71. DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2010.11.036. View

20.

Morabito C, Lanuti P, Caprara G, Marchisio M, Bizzarri M, Guarnieri S . Physiological Responses of Jurkat Lymphocytes to Simulated Microgravity Conditions. Int J Mol Sci. 2019; 20(8). PMC: 6515345. DOI: 10.3390/ijms20081892. View