NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,144 11 April 2025 (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. Svoronos AA, O’Grady CS, Walker E, Afshari NA, Macias BR, Laurie SS, Weinreb RN, Huang AS.Analysis of spaceflight-associated biometric and refractive changes in astronauts.Am J Ophthalmol. 2025 Apr 5. Online ahead of print.PI: A.S. HuangNote: ISS results. From the abstract: “Preflight and postflight cycloplegic refraction and ocular biometry measurements were obtained from 56 eyes among 29 subjects. For each eye, the preflight-to-postflight changes in spherical equivalent (SE), axial length (AL), average corneal curvature (K), and anterior chamber depth (ACD) were calculated. The Fyodorov and Olsen-C formulas were used to estimate the relative contribution of each biometric parameter individually to the total change in SE. A linear mixed-model approach was used to assess the relationships between refraction measurements, biometric parameters, optic disc edema, and duration on the ISS.”
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 4.1
   
   Funding: “Funding for this work came from NASA (80NSSC22K1803 [AH], NNJ15KK11B [BM], NASA HRP Directed Research [BM], NNJ11ZSA002NA [SSL]) and NIH/NEI (P30EY022589 [EW and UCSD]). Unrestricted grant by Research to Prevent Blindness, New York, NY.”
2. Shah J, Ong J, Lee R, Suh A, Waisberg E, Gibson CR, Berdahl J, Mader TH.Risk of permanent corneal injury in microgravity: Spaceflight-associated hazards, challenges to vision restoration, and role of biotechnology in long-term planetary missions.Life. 2025 Apr 4;15(4):602. Review.Note: This article is part of Special Issue “Space Medicine Ophthalmology: Insights from Molecular Observations to the Clinical Management of Ocular Risks in Microgravity” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/life/special_issues/416F742D6M). The Special Issue also includes articles from previous Current Awareness Lists #1,132 https://doi.org/10.3390/life14121598 and #1,138 https://doi.org/10.3390/life15020183. Additional articles will be forthcoming and may be found in the link to the Special Issue. This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 3.2
   
   Funding: C.R. Gibson is affiliated with NASA Johnson Space Center.
3. Contractor N, and DeChurch L.We are a go for launch! Working with NASA to forecast and improve team dynamics in space missions.J Appl Commun Res. 2025 Apr;53(1):62-5.PIs: N. Contractor, L. DeChurchJournal Impact Factor: 1.6
   
   Funding: “This work was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration [grant numbers NNX15AK73G and 80NSSC21K0925].”
4. Schellberg BG, Koppes AN, Koppes RA.In situ monitoring of barrier function on-chip via automated, non-invasive luminescence sensing.Lab Chip. 2025 Apr 4.Note: From the abstract: Over the past 30 years, organs-on-a-chip (OOCs) have emerged as a robust alternative to address the technological challenges associated with current in vitro and in vivo options. Although OOCs offer improved bio-relevance and controlled complexity, broad adoption has remained limited. Most approaches to characterize on-chip structure and function require human intervention, limiting device translation and feasibility. Here, we introduce a new fiber optic-based sensing platform that enables automated, temporal luminescence sensing on-chip, validated for real-time readout of epithelial and endothelial barrier function under cytokine-induced inflammation. This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 6.1
   
   Funding: “This work was supported by NASA (80ARC023CA005) and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R35GM142741).”
5. Gallo CA, Perkins RA, Ivanoff AE, Myers JGJ, Prabhu RK.Modeling and simulation credibility assessments of musculoskeletal computational models for simulating astronaut injuries due to a poor spacesuit fit.J Eng Sci Med Diagn Ther. 2025 Nov;8(4):044501.Journal Impact Factor: 0.8
   
   Funding: “The NASA Human Research Program managed at the NASA Johnson Space Center (Funder ID: 10.13039/100006203).”
6. Rai AK, Muthukumaran NS, Nisini N, Lee T, Kyriazis ID, de Lucia C, Piedepalumbo M, Roy R, Uchida S, Drosatos K, Bisserier M, Katare R, Goukassian D, Kishore R, Garikipati VNS.Transcriptome wide changes in long noncoding RNAs in diabetic ischemic heart disease.Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2024 Oct 17;23(1):365.PI: D. GoukassianNote: This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 8.5
   
   Funding: Dr. Goukassian NASA grant #80NSSC19K1079.
7. Rai AK, Sanghvi S, Muthukumaran NS, Chandrasekera D, Kadam A, Kishore J, Kyriazis ID, Tomar D, Ponnalagu D, Shettigar V, Khan M, Singh H, Goukassian D, Katare R, Garikipati VNS.Role of mitochondrial ribosomal protein L7/L12 (MRPL12) in diabetic ischemic heart disease.Free Radic Biol Med. 2024 Sep;222:531-8.PI: D. GoukassianNote: This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 7.1
   
   Funding: Dr. Goukassian NASA grant #80NSSC19K1079.
8. Vinken M, Grimm D, Baatout S, Baselet B, Beheshti A, Braun M, Carstens AC, Casaletto JA, Cools B, Costes SV, De Meulemeester P, Doruk B, Eyal S, Ferreira MJS, Miranda S, Hahn C, Akyüz SH, Herbert S, Krepkiy D, Lichterfeld Y, Liemersdorf C, Krüger M, Marchal S, Ritz J, Schmakeit T, Stenuit H, Tabury K, Trittel T, Wehland M, Zhang YS, Putt KS, Zhang ZY, Tagle DA.Taking the 3Rs to a higher level: Replacement and reduction of animal testing in life sciences in space research.Biotechnol Adv. 2025 Jul-Aug;108574. Review. Online ahead of print.Journal Impact Factor: 12.1
   
   Funding: J.A. Casaletto and S.V. Costes are affiliated with NASA Ames Research Center.
9. Hickl V, Khan A, Rossi RM, Silva BFB, Maniura-Weber K.Segmentation of dense and multi-species bacterial colonies using models trained on synthetic microscopy images.PLoS Comput Biol. 2025 Apr 4;21(4):e1012874.Note: From the abstract: The spread of microbial infections is governed by the self-organization of bacteria on surfaces. Bacterial interactions in clinically relevant settings remain challenging to quantify, especially in systems with multiple species or varied material properties. Quantitative image analysis methods based on machine learning show promise to overcome this challenge and support the development of novel antimicrobial treatments, but are limited by a lack of high-quality training data. Here, novel experimental and image analysis techniques for high-fidelity single-cell segmentation of bacterial colonies are developed.” This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: Not available for this journal
   
   Funding: A. Khan is affiliated with NASA Ames Research Center.

Other papers of interest:

1. DeVirgiliis L, Goode NJ, McDowell KW, English KL, Novo R, Botros V, Agwu G, Scott JM, Ploutz-Snyder LL.Spaceflight and sport science: Physiological monitoring and countermeasures for the astronaut-athlete on Mars exploration missions.Exp Physiol. 2025 Apr 8. Review. Online ahead of print.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
2. Fiedler B, Jami M, Chilukuri SV, Ghali A, Phillips T, Shahzad Ahmed A.Spaceflight missions over 6 months significantly increase the risk of shoulder pathology and rotator cuff tears.JSES Int. 2025 Mar;9(2):380-4.Note: From the abstract: “Using The Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health epidemiology database at National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a retrospective cohort study was conducted to assess the effect of space flight mission duration on rate of shoulder injury among astronauts. Inclusion criteria were all astronauts who participated in space flight regardless of age or space flight mission time. Exclusion criteria were all injuries occurring greater than 5 years following return to Earth. Patient demographics were compared between injured and noninjured cohorts with stratification by shoulder pathology.” This article may be obtained online without charge.
3. Venegas JM, Rosenberg M.Sleep deprivation and glymphatic system dysfunction as a risk factor for SANS during long-duration spaceflight.Life Sci Space Res. 2025 Aug;46:39-42. Review.
4. Clément G.The brain in space.In: Clément G, ed. Fundamentals of Space Medicine. New York, NY: Springer US, 2025. p. 245-76.
5. Patel SR, Nakada SY.Chapter 5 – Urolithiasis risk in spaceflight.In: Krittanawong C, ed. Precision Medicine for Long and Safe Permanence of Humans in Space. Academic Press, 2025. p. 61-71.
6. Coppens S, Hirtz C, Vignon M, Bailey DM.Science of omics: A molecular space odyssey.Exp Physiol. 2025 Apr 5. Onine ahead of print.Note: This article is an editorial and may be obtained online without charge.
7. Maldonado-Romo J, Jami A, Sant A, Montesinos L, Ponce P.Biomaterials for aerospace applications: A sustainable technological analysis.Journal of Physics: Conference Series. 2025;2946(1):012006.Note: From the abstract: “This research aims to promote sustainable, high-performance aerospace technologies that lower environmental impact while advancing industry capabilities.” This article may be obtained online without charge.
8. Pitakarnnop J, Masri S, Leetang K, Wongthep P.Toward traceability of low differential pressure measurement for aerospace and medical applications in Thailand.Measurement: Sensors. 2025 Jan 16;101682. Online ahead of print.
9. Shirah BH.Chapter 36 – Exploring frontiers: The evolution and future trajectory of space medicine initiatives in the Middle East.In: Krittanawong C, ed. Precision Medicine for Long and Safe Permanence of Humans in Space. Academic Press, 2025. p. 585-99.
10. Yuan J, Yang J, Sun Y, Meng Y, He Z, Zhang W, Dang L, Song Y, Xu K, Lv N, Zhang Z, Guo P, Yin H, Shi W.An early microbial landscape: Inspiring endeavor from the China Space Station Habitation Area Microbiome Program (CHAMP).Sci China Life Sci. 2025 Mar 20.
11. Khan S, Jose J, Ramachandran G, Rawas-Qalaji M, Ranade A, Karim A, Ahmad F, Qaisar R.Effects of concomitant hypoxia and simulated microgravity on skeletal muscle, liver, and lungs in a novel experimental mouse model.Acta Astronaut. 2025 Jul;580-7.Note: Hindlimb unloading study.
12. Liu M, Wang Y, Ren F, Zhang W, Zheng H, Shi Q, Zhang R, Gao C, Luo L, Nie C, Gu J.Alterations of retinal autophagy after a blast simulated microgravity in rats.Exp Eye Res. 2025 Apr 1:110366.Note: Hindlimb unloading study.
13. Tolle G, Petrillo A, Fantini MC, Serreli G, Deiana M, Fais G, Lai N, Caboni P.Tryptophan metabolites are altered when Caco-2 cells are exposed to simulated microgravity.Life Sci Space Res. 2025 Apr 9. Online ahead of print.Note: A random positioning machine was used to simulate microgravity.
14. Rice GM, Linnville S, Snider D.Methodologies using artificial intelligence to detect cognitive decrements in aviation environments.Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2025 Apr 1;96(4):327-38. Review.
15. Han S, Zhao X, Yu C, Cui C, Zhang Y, Zhu Q, Qiu M, Yang C, Yin H.Nestin regulates autophagy-dependent ferroptosis mediated skeletal muscle atrophy by ubiquitinating MAP 1LC3B.J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2025 Apr;16(2):e13779.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
16. He X, Lei Y, Xu Z, Li K, Nicolas M, Wu R, Li Y.Changes in risky behavior in long-term head-down bedrest and relation to psychological status.Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2025 Apr 1;96(4):304-13.
17. Klos B, Kaul A, Straube E, Steinhauser V, Gödel C, Schäfer F, Lambert C, Enck P, Mack I.Effects of isolated, confined and extreme environments on parameters of the immune system – A systematic review.Front Immunol. 2025 Mar 24;16:1532103.Note: This article is part of Research Topic “Genes, Cells, and Macroenvironments: Regulating the Immune Response in Extreme Conditions” (https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/58604/genes-cells-and-macroenvironments-regulating-the-immune-response-in-extreme-conditions/articles) and may be obtained online without charge.

astrobiology, microgravity, space life science, space medicine,