NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,187 13 February 2026 (Space Life Science Research Results)

The abstract in PubMed or at the publisher’s site is linked when available and will open in a new window.

Papers deriving from NASA support:

1. Palmer GA, Mathyk BA, Jones J, Stocks BT, Wolpe PR, Wotring V, Mason CE, Cohen J, Karouia F.Reproductive biomedicine in space: Implications for gametogenesis, fertility and ethical considerations in the era of commercial spaceflight.Reprod Biomed Online. 2026 Jan 28;105431. Review. Online ahead of print.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 3.5
   
   Funding: F. Karouia is affiliated with NASA Ames Research Center.
2. Sherman SO, Hayman AP.Evaluation of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques for use on long duration spaceflight missions.Acta Astronaut. 2026 Jul;244:71-81.PI: A.P. HaymanNote: From the abstract: “Degraded mental performance is a risk for astronauts on long duration spaceflight missions for which non-invasive, unobtrusive countermeasures are currently under investigation. Inducing neuromodulation using non-invasive brain stimulation (NiBS) techniques may be a useful and safe countermeasure approach to stimulate neural processes, but to date a synthesis of promising techniques has not been performed. This work evaluates four NiBS techniques: transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM), and stochastic resonance (SR).”
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 3.4
   
   Funding: “This work was inspired by funding from the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) through NASA NNX16AO69A under award number T0402.”
3. Beger S, Lowery C, Heft N, Asadi A, Trapp B, Mateus J, Garbino A.A case of dislocation and successful reduction of a right anterior shoulder inside a spacesuit: Considerations for future protocols.Wilderness Environ Med. 2026 Feb 4;10806032261417172. Online ahead of print.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 1.1
   
   Funding: A. Garbino is affiliated with NASA Johnson Space Center.
4. Slaba TC, Poignant F.An ensemble dose-response model for monoenergetic ions and doses relevant for space radiation carcinogenesis.Life Sci Space Res. 2026 Feb 13. Online ahead of print.Journal Impact Factor: 2.8
   
   Funding: “This work was funded by the Space Radiation Element of the Human Research Program at NASA (TCS) and by NASA contract 80LARC23DA003 (FP).”
5. Dixon JB, Clark TK, Endsley TC.Findings from interviews with pilots on spatial disorientation: Training, temporal dynamics and countermeasures.Front Physiol. 2026 Feb 10;16:1620737.PI: T.K. ClarkNote: This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 3.4
   
   Funding: “This material is based upon work supported by the Draper Scholars Program, partially supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Grant No. 80NSSC23K0449 and by the DoD/ONR via our Multiloop Cybernetic System Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI, N000142012163, PI: Daniel Merfeld).”
6. Opdensteinen P, Lewin K, Steinmetz NF.Scalable purification of cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) and its bioconjugates from plant extracts using ultrafiltration.Biotechnology Journal. 2026 Feb 5;21(2):e70182.PI: P. OpdensteinenJournal Impact Factor: 3.0
   
   Funding: “This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health(NIH) under the grant number R01-CA274640 (to N.F.S). Patrick Opden-steinen was supported in part through a TRISH post-doctoral fellowshipby the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) throughNASA Cooperative Agreement NNX16AO69A.”
7. Ra EA, Kim HB, Yun W, Bandaru A, Cho G, Lee S, Anderson MC, Kim MS, Kim H, Oh Y, Lee G.Sex-specific changes in brain organoids from acute simulated galactic cosmic radiation are rescued by targeted ECM pathway stimulation.Advanced Functional Materials. 2025 Dec 7;e17942. Online ahead of print.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 19
   
   Funding: “The authors gratefully acknowledge the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH/NASA) agency for their support (TSRAD 2020 and NNX16AO69A to G.L.) and this work was supported by the Translational Research Institute for Space Health through NASA Cooperative Agreement NNX16AO69A (G.L.).”

Other papers of interest:

1. Arbeille P, Zuj K, Vincent N, Greaves D, Hughson R.Evaluation of the left ventricle contractility during and after 6 months on the ISS using a speckle tracking modality.Front Physiol. 2026 Feb 10;17:1699925.Note: ISS results. This article is part of Research Topic “Innovations in Tools and Methods for Life Sciences Research in Space” (https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/68978/innovations-in-tools-and-methods-for-life-sciences-research-in-space). The Research Topic also includes articles from previous Current Awareness Lists #1,155 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1599005, #1,156 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1622401, #1,165 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1628696, #1,168 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1621099, and #1,169 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1663701. This article may be obtained online without charge.
2. Grandke F, Rishik S, Wagner V, Engel A, Ludwig N, Calcuttawala K, Kern F, Keller V, Krawczyk M, Stodieck L, Ferguson V, Roberts A, Meese E, Schaum N, Quake S, Wyss-Coray T, Keller A.MiRNAs shape mouse age-independent tissue adaptation to spaceflight via ECM and developmental pathways.Nat Commun. 2026 Feb 5;17(1):1387.Note: ISS results. This article may be obtained online without charge.
3. Jahanian Najafabadi A, Kroger C.Altered gravity and time perception: A brief review.Front Psychol. 2026 Jan 20;16:1735072.Note: This article is part of Research Topic “Gravitational Influence on Human Cognition and Behavior: Emerging Research” (https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/66872/gravitational-influence-on-human-cognition-and-behavior-emerging-research/articles). The Research Topic also includes an article from previous Current Awareness List #1,186 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1713354. This article may be obtained online without charge.
4. Blomqvist T, Fritsche R.From production to food systems: A systems-level review of drivers, requirements, and integration for lunar and Martian food systems.Acta Astronaut. 2026 Feb 12. Online ahead of print.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
5. Kenzaka T, Ichijo T, Yamazaki T.High extracellular polymeric substance production and biofilm-forming capacity of Ralstonia pickettii isolates from ISS potable water.Microbiol Spectr. 2026 Feb 5;e0291325. Online ahead of print.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
6. Kovács P, Wang Z, Hajdú T, Juhász KZ, Katona É, Takács R, Vágó J, Zákány R, Póliska S, Szentesi P, Csernoch L, Matta C.Microgravity-induced transcriptional reprogramming in embryonic chicken limb bud-derived chondrogenic cultures.Front Cell Dev Biol. 2026;14:1746313.Note: This article is part of Research Topic “Organoids: Transforming Cell Biology with 3D Cultures” (https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/73973/organoids-transforming-cell-biology-with-3d-cultures). Additional articles will be forthcoming and may be found in the link to the Research Topic. This article may be obtained online without charge.
7. Lane K, Nilvarna A, Abbey GWS, Kezirian MT.Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) for Artemis and future space exploration programs.Acta Astronaut. 2026 May;242:127-40.
8. Lerge P, Nölle LV, Schmitt S, Martynenko OV.Definition of the neutral body posture through three-dimensional local Cardan joint angles.Acta Astronaut. 2026 Feb 11. Online ahead of print.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
9. Yue Y, Wang X, Song Y, Sun Y, Xue L, Chen G, Feng Z, Luo G, Wang T.Optimal surgical timing after high-altitude de-adaptation: Day-30 post-descent marks physiologic recalibration and improved small bowel repair in rats.Front Physiol. 2026 Feb 8;17:1742306.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
10. Zolotareva AD, Zolotarev VI, Kamkina OV, Shileiko SA, Mitrokhin VM, Bilichenko AS, Kazansky VE, Rodina AS, Mladenov MI, Kamkin AG.Hypergravity upregulates and simulated microgravity downregulates TRPM7 mechanosensitive ion channel expression in isolated rat cardiomyocytes.Bull Exp Biol Med. 2026 Feb 9.
11. No authors listed.Life science research in extreme environments: A conversation with astronaut Jessica Meir.Commun Biol. 2026 Feb 10;9(1):201.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
12. Chen P, Chen J, Xu N, Wang W, Hou L, Sun B, Lan H, Liu W, Shen Q, Yu Y, Zang P.Effects of long-term weightless stimulating by tail suspension on the gut microbiota as well as the gut-liver axis homeostasis in rat.BMC Microbiol. 2026 Feb 11. Early access article.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
13. Davis GM, Horner J, Greenhill AR, Marsden SC, Carter BD.Bacillus subtilis endospore integrity and viability on simulated Martian regolith in rotational UVC radiation exposures.Life Sci Space Res. 2026 Feb 10. Online ahead of print.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
14. Ferdinand Ferguson AH, Haqq-Misra J.Cooperative sovereignty on Mars: Lessons from the International Telecommunication Union and Universal Postal Union.Acta Astronaut. 2026 Feb 10. Online ahead of print.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
15. Gessinger R, Herbert JS, Castro J, Rodrigues G, Russomano T, de Oliveira A.Hypogravity simulators using virtual reality applied to the study of human physiology: A systematic review.Acta Astronaut. 2026 Feb 9. Review. Online ahead of print.Note: From the abstract: “The growing focus on lunar and Martian missions underscores the importance of understanding how reduced gravity affects human physiology. Virtual Reality (VR)-based simulations have emerged as safe and controlled analogs for reproducing hypogravity environments on Earth. To systematically review how VR technologies have been applied in hypogravity simulators to investigate acute and chronic physiological responses in humans. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and IEEE Xplore up to July 2025, following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Studies involving human participants exposed to simulated hypogravity through VR combined with partial body-weight support were included.”
16. Herdman ZG, Ko FC, Poeszat HG, Refaat M, Anderson MJ, Christiansen BA, Reddi AH, Lee MA, Williams JC.The influence of fixation stiffness on bone regeneration in a rodent bone critical size defect model.J Orthop Res. 2026 Feb 8;44(2):e70153.Note: From the abstract: “The interplay between mechanical stability and healing response in critical-size bone defects is poorly studied. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between Ratfix^TM constructs’ stiffness in a rodent model of critical size defect (CSD) in femurs.”
17. Qiu M, He P, Chen Z, Zhou L, Wu X, Yang M, Jiang Y, Gu J.RAD51 promotes osteogenic differentiation and inhibits DNA damage in osteoporosis though regulating cGAS-STING signaling pathway.Regen Ther. 2026 Mar;31:101070.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
18. Yang J, Li X, Zhu X, Li Z, Chen X, Huang R, Yu M, Han B, Jiang T, Zhang C, Liu X.Hypoxia-induced osteopontin-positive glioma-associated macrophages facilitate glioma mesenchymal transition via NF-κB pathway activation.Cancer Commun (Lond). 2026 Jan 23;46:0007.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.

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