| Theme | The frontier of space medicine | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Immunity -- Impact of altered gravity on functions of thymic microenvironment | |
| Publish Date | 2017/07 | |
| Author | Taishin Akiyama | Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo |
| Author | Riko Yoshinaga | Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo |
| Author | Nobuko Akiyama | Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo |
| [ Summary ] | As part of health management during space flight, it is important to elucidate the impacts of space environments, such as altered gravity and radiation, on the immune system. Several studies have monitored rodents in space flight and ground experiments. The thymus generates almost all the body's T cells, and its function is affected by various stressors. We investigated the effects of hypergravity induced by chronic centrifugation on the frequency of thymic T cells and thymic epithelial cells in mice. Hypergravity temporarily decreases thymic T cell numbers. In contrast, thymic epithelial cells are persistently decreased by hypergravity exposure. A surgical lesion to the inner ear's vestibular apparatus remarkably alleviated these changes. Analyses of mice returning from space flights to the International Space Station are in progress, and these studies would uncover the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms through which altered gravity affects immune systems. | |