Article
Plant Sciences
Zixiang Wu, Lifang Hu, Kang Ru, Wenjuan Zhang, Xia Xu, Shuyu Liu, Hua Liu, Yunxia Jia, Shujing Liang, Zhihao Chen, Airong Qian
Summary: This study investigates the role of cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12) in osteoporosis induced by simulated microgravity and the therapeutic effect of CDK12-targeted Ellagic Acid (EA) on osteoporosis. The results demonstrate that CDK12-targeted EA efficiently improves osteoporosis by promoting osteoblast differentiation.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Alex Buoite Stella, Milos Ajcevic, Giovanni Furlanis, Paolo Manganotti
Summary: Changes in physiological functions after spaceflight and simulated spaceflight involve various mechanisms, including microgravity, but more detailed studies on the complexity of neurophysiological systems are needed. Analysis of central nervous system changes using advanced techniques such as fMRI has shown involvement of several key areas, while studies on EEG and corticospinal excitability have yielded contrasting results. More research on somatosensory evoked potentials and peripheral nerve function during simulated microgravity may provide insights useful for space exploration and clinical applications.
CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesca Cialdai, Davide Bolognini, Leonardo Vignali, Nicola Iannotti, Stefano Cacchione, Alberto Magi, Michele Balsamo, Marco Vukich, Gianluca Neri, Alessandro Donati, Monica Monici, Sergio Capaccioli, Matteo Lulli
Summary: This study aimed to explore the cellular and molecular effects of human retinal pigment ARPE-19 cells transferred to and living on board the ISS for 3 days, with a focus on the adaptations and dysfunction exhibited by the cells in response to the space environment. Results indicated that the cells showed cytoskeleton remodeling and transcriptomic profile changes, suggesting a cellular response to the unique conditions of space. Additionally, treatment with coenzyme Q10 showed potential for increasing cell resistance to damage.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Oliver Ullrich, Christian Paul Casal, Natalie Dove, Calista Fischer, Max Gassmann, Martin Daniel Gerber, Rudolf Guldener, Liliana Elisabeth Layer, Bruno Neininger, Silvia Ulrich, Marc Studer, Cora Sandra Thiel
Summary: This article describes a successful non-governmental parabolic flight program, which achieved 31 experiments and tests through the flexible combination of academic research and industrial experiments, resulting in many scientific publications and subsequent projects.
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Zheng H. Zhu, Junjie Kang, Udai Bindra
Summary: The experimental validation of a CubeSat tether deployment design was conducted through air-bearing ground test and microgravity parabolic flight test. Results show that the internal friction of the tether in microgravity environment is much less than on the ground, indicating the effectiveness of the designed tether deployment system.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Jun Hirayama, Atsuhiko Hattori, Akihisa Takahashi, Yukihiro Furusawa, Yoshiaki Tabuchi, Masahiro Shibata, Aiko Nagamatsu, Sachiko Yano, Yusuke Maruyama, Hajime Matsubara, Toshio Sekiguchi, Nobuo Suzuki
Summary: Exposure to the space environment has numerous adverse effects on astronauts, including bone loss, sleep disorders, circadian rhythm disruption, cardiovascular and metabolic dysfunction, and impaired immune function. Melatonin, a hormone regulating various physiological functions, appears to play a crucial role in mitigating these effects and protecting against space radiation.
JOURNAL OF PINEAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biology
Karlis Arturs Moors, Emanuel Ott, Wolfram Weckwerth, Tetyana Milojevic
Summary: As space exploration rapidly evolves, understanding the effects of microgravity on living organisms becomes crucial. This study focuses on the short-term proteomic response of the radiation-resistant bacterium, Deinococcus radiodurans, to real microgravity during parabolic flight. The results show molecular rearrangement in the cell envelope and changes in proteins involved in energy metabolism and DNA repair, suggesting a stress response. The findings also demonstrate similarities with previously reported stress responses, providing valuable insights into the stress management of this bacterium.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ester Sara Di Filippo, Sara Chiappalupi, Michele Balsamo, Marco Vukich, Guglielmo Sorci, Stefania Fulle
Summary: The study aims to investigate the effects of real microgravity on the differentiation capacity of human muscle precursor cells. The results will be helpful in preventing or counteracting muscle atrophy. Prolonged exposure to microgravity can lead to instability in organs and tissues, including excessive muscle atrophy, and affect the functionality of satellite cells.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sophia Shaka, Nicolas Carpo, Victoria Tran, Carlos Cepeda, Araceli Espinosa-Jeffrey
Summary: Considering the imminent long-term space travel, studying the impact of space microgravity (SPC-mu G) is crucial to understand its consequences on the health of astronauts and the mechanisms leading to neurological disorders. Previous studies have shown that exposure to SPC-mu G enhances the proliferation, shortens the cell cycle, and increases the cell diameter of neural stem cells (NSCs). This study reveals abnormal cell division of NSCs following exposure to SPC-mu G, providing insights into the potential health implications of space travel and the mechanisms underlying carcinogenic susceptibility.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Victoria Tran, Nicholas Carpo, Sophia Shaka, Joile Zamudio, Sungshin Choi, Carlos Cepeda, Araceli Espinosa-Jeffrey
Summary: This study examines the effects of space microgravity on oligodendrocyte progenitors (OLPs) and finds that space-flown OLPs display a more immature phenotype compared to ground control (GC) counterparts. The study also discovers abnormal expression of the iron carrier glycoprotein Tf in the nucleus of all space-flown OLPs, suggesting a gravitational regulation of Tf expression. These findings provide insights into why OLPs may be present but do not mature in certain myelin disorders.
Article
Biology
Akira Uruno, Daisuke Saigusa, Takafumi Suzuki, Akane Yumoto, Tomohiro Nakamura, Naomi Matsukawa, Takahiro Yamazaki, Ristumi Saito, Keiko Taguchi, Mikiko Suzuki, Norio Suzuki, Akihito Otsuki, Fumiki Katsuoka, Eiji Hishinuma, Risa Okada, Seizo Koshiba, Yoshihisa Tomioka, Ritsuko Shimizu, Masaki Shirakawa, Thomas W. Kensler, Dai Shiba, Masayuki Yamamoto
Summary: The volume of epididymal white adipose tissue and plasma glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid levels in mice increase during spaceflight. These metabolic and physiological changes were largely driven by Nrf2 (NF-E2-related factor-2), ultimately providing a mechanistic target for altering lipid metabolism on Earth and the Great Beyond.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Kim Ngan Tran, Jong-il Choi
Summary: Spaceflight poses the risk of skeletal muscle atrophy due to microgravity and cosmic rays. In this study, we used ground-based models to investigate the transcriptional changes in rat soleus muscle under two microgravity models - tail suspension and denervation. Our findings showed a similar pattern of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in both models, including the downregulation of energy metabolism-related genes and the upregulation of fast-twitch type transcription. These results validate the potential of our ground-based models in studying the effects of spaceflight on muscle cells and provide candidate genes for future research on spaceflight-induced muscle atrophy.
LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Issam Mudawar, Jeongmin Lee
Summary: This study investigates the flow boiling of n-perfluorohexane (n-PFH) under microgravity on the International Space Station (ISS) using the Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE). The results show good agreement between the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model and the experimental data, capturing interfacial behavior such as bubble formation and detachment. The CFD simulations also enable prediction of important transport parameters not possible from experiment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER
(2023)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Zahra Abbasi, Jesse B. Hoagg, T. Michael Seigler
Summary: This article presents a decentralized formation control strategy for electromagnetic formation flight. The strategy utilizes alternating magnetic field forces to address the coupling challenges between electromagnetic fields generated by satellites. The electromagnetic actuation system of each satellite is driven by optimally designed amplitude-modulated sinusoids to achieve formation control while minimizing control effort. The communication structure is a connected undirected graph where satellites rely on relative-position and relative-velocity feedback.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CONTROL SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Sheila Nielsen, Kenna White, Kyle Preiss, Dakota Peart, Kathryn Gianoulias, Rachel Juel, James Sutton, James McKinney, Jaclyn Bender, Gabrielle Pinc, Kela Bergren, Wendy Gans, Jessica Kelley, Millard McQuaid
Summary: This report compared the cellular and physiological adaptations of Candida albicans cultured in microgravity on the International Space Station. Results showed that C. albicans had a slightly shorter generation time and higher growth propensity in microgravity compared to terrestrial controls. The yeast demonstrated an increased resistance to the antifungal agent, amphotericin B, during spaceflight.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Concetta Altamura, Paola Gavazzo, Michael Pusch, Jean-Francois Desaphy
Summary: This article discusses the significant role of ion channels in drug resistance and the potential value of targeting these channels for clinical treatment. Several molecular mechanisms may lead to the development of chemoresistance, reducing the efficacy of treatment.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2022)
Correction
Chemistry, Medicinal
Gualtiero Milani, Maria Maddalena Cavalluzzi, Concetta Altamura, Antonella Santoro, Mariagrazia Perrone, Marilena Muraglia, Nicola Antonio Colabufo, Filomena Corbo, Elisabetta Casalino, Carlo Franchini, Isabella Pisano, Jean-Francois Desaphy, Antonio Carrieri, Alessia Carocci, Giovanni Lentini
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Concetta Altamura, Diana Conte, Maria Rosaria Carratu, Jean-Francois Desaphy
CURRENT MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Dumitru Andrei Iacobas, Lei Xi
Summary: The genomic fabric paradigm (GFP) characterizes the topology of the transcriptome by analyzing the abundance and variability of transcripts, as well as the inter-coordination of gene expressions. It has been applied to study heart failures induced by different conditions and revealed important findings about gene expression regulation and gene networks.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2022)
Editorial Material
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Concetta Altamura, Ilaria Saltarella, Carmen Campanale, Paola Laghetti, Jean-Francois Desaphy
Summary: Skeletal muscle ion channelopathies are rare genetic diseases characterized by myotonia or periodic paralysis. Current therapeutic options involve drug repositioning, with Mexiletine and Dichlorphenamide being approved for non-dystrophic myotonias and periodic paralyses. However, these treatments do not address the genetic cause or individual drug response variability. Research is ongoing to identify repurposed drugs for personalized treatment. This review highlights the efficacy of drug repurposing in rare diseases to reduce drug development time and costs in challenging investment returns context.
CURRENT OPINION IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Menachem Hanani, David C. Spray, Tian-Ying Huang
Summary: This study focused on age-related changes in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons and satellite glial cells (SGCs) in mice. It was found that in aged mice, there was a higher level of coupling between DRG neurons and SGCs, and the membrane excitability of DRG neurons increased with age. These changes may be caused by low-grade inflammation associated with aging and contribute to pain behavior.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Roberta Fabbri, Diletta Spennato, Giorgia Conte, Aikaterini Konstantoulaki, Chiara Lazzarini, Emanuela Saracino, Grazia Paola Nicchia, Antonio Frigeri, Roberto Zamboni, David C. Spray, Valentina Benfenati
Summary: This article introduces the concept of Glioception and focuses on the process by which glial cells sense, interpret, and integrate information about the inner state of the organism. Glial cells act as sensors and integrators of various interoceptive signals, and they can trigger regulatory responses by modulating the activity of neuronal networks in both physiological and pathological conditions. Understanding and manipulating glioceptive processes and underlying molecular mechanisms are believed to be a key path for the development of new therapies for the prevention and alleviation of devastating interoceptive dysfunctions, with a particular emphasis on pain.
PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Karl J. Lewis, James F. Boorman-Padgett, Macy Castaneda, David C. Spray, Mia M. Thi, Mitchell B. Schaffler
Summary: Bone tissue is highly sensitive to mechanical load magnitude, and osteocytes play a crucial role in mechanosensing. Various techniques, including histology, mathematical modeling, cell culture, and ex vivo bone organ cultures, have advanced our understanding of osteocyte mechanobiology. However, the molecular-level mechanisms of how osteocytes respond to and encode mechanical information in vivo are still unclear. Fluctuations in intracellular calcium concentration in osteocytes provide a valuable target for studying acute bone mechanotransduction mechanisms.
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Ilaria Saltarella, Concetta Altamura, Carmen Campanale, Paola Laghetti, Angelo Vacca, Maria Antonia Frassanito, Jean-Francois Desaphy
Summary: Angiogenesis is a critical factor in multiple myeloma, affecting patients' prognosis, survival, and drug resistance. Various anti-angiogenic drugs targeting angiogenic cytokines and their receptors have been developed, along with standard antimyeloma drugs that also exhibit anti-angiogenic effects. This review examines the pharmacological profile and in vitro and in vivo anti-angiogenic effects of these therapies. Although direct targeting of angiogenic cytokines/receptors has shown limited efficacy, there is a need for a deeper understanding of the bone marrow angiogenic niche to develop novel multi-targeting anti-angiogenic therapies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aurelia Lamanuzzi, Ilaria Saltarella, Antonia Reale, Assunta Melaccio, Antonio Giovanni Solimando, Concetta Altamura, Grazia Tamma, Clelia Tiziana Storlazzi, Doron Tolomeo, Vanessa Desantis, Maria Addolorata Mariggio, Jean-Francois Desaphy, Andrew Spencer, Angelo Vacca, Benedetta Apollonio, Maria Antonia Frassanito
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from fibroblasts play an important role in promoting angiogenesis in the bone marrow of multiple myeloma patients. The cargo of these EVs contains angiogenic cytokines that mediate this process. The uptake-independent and uptake-dependent mechanisms of FBEVs contribute to different stages of angiogenesis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daria Di Molfetta, Stefania Cannone, Maria Raffaella Greco, Rosa Caroppo, Francesca Piccapane, Tiago Miguel Amaral Carvalho, Concetta Altamura, Ilaria Saltarella, Diana Tavares Valente, Jean Francois Desaphy, Stephan J. J. Reshkin, Rosa Angela Cardone
Summary: Intracellular pH (pHi) regulation is crucial for the exocrine pancreas, and dysregulation of ion transporters, including bicarbonate transporters and NHE1, is observed in PDAC. The progression of PDAC is facilitated by the acidosis in Collagen-I rich ECM. Our study on organotypic cultures of normal human pancreatic cells (HPDE), parenchymal cancer cells (CPCs), and cancer stem cells (CSCs) reveals that the ECM composition and pHe fluctuations contribute to pHi dysregulation and the presence of NaHCO3 gradients similar to that in tumors.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Medicine, General & Internal
C. Campanale, P. Imbrici, V. Vacchiano, P. Laghetti, I. Saltarella, C. Altamura, L. Maggi, R. Brugnoni, V. A. Donadio, J. F. Desaphy
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Medicine, General & Internal
J. F. Desaphy
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carles Hernandez-Ferrer, Alberto Corvo, Leslie Matalonga, Rachel Thompson, Leigh Carmody, Davide Piscia, Alfons Macaya, Angela Lochmuller, Alex Manta, Bertrand Fontaine, Sabine Vicart, Jean-Francois Desaphy, Concetta Altamura, Karim Wahbi, Annachiara De Sandre-Giovannoli, Corinne Vigouroux, Birte Zurek, Carola Rheinard, David Gomez-Andres, Katherine Schon, Laura Over, Norbert Brueggemann, Katja Lohmann, Matthew J. Jennings, Matthis Synofzik, Olaf Riess, Rabah Ben Yaou, Teresinha Evangelista, Thiloka Ratnaike, Virginie Bros-Facer, Gulcin Gumus, Rita Horvath, Patrick Chinnery, Holm Graessner, Peter Robinson, Antonio Atalaia, Hanns Lochmuller, Gisele Bonne, Sergi Beltran
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sanda Iacobas, Dumitru Andrei Iacobas
Summary: Years of research and extensive funding have not yet yielded an effective answer to prostate cancer. Each individual and even each cancer nodule within the same tumor has a unique transcriptome topology, making it unrealistic to search for universal biomarkers and treatments. This study presents a bioinformatics procedure to identify each patient's unique set of prostate cancer gene master regulators and predict the consequences of manipulating them experimentally.
CURRENT ISSUES IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)