NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,888 20 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. Adkins AM, Boden AF, Singh N, Luyo ZNM, Britten RA, Wellman LL, Sanford LD.Effects of 15 cGy GCRsim space radiation on conditioned fear and stress responses in stress resilient and vulnerable rats: Implications for astronaut sleep, health and mission performance.Radiat Res. 2026 Jan 20. Online ahead of print.PI: L.D. SanfordJournal Impact Factor: 2.7
   
   Funding: “NASA CBS VNSCOR grant 80NSSC19K1582.”
2. 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.PI: C.E. MasonNote: This article appeared in last week’s list and is being included again along with the NASA grant information. This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 3.5
   
   Funding: PI reports NASA grants 80NSSC23K0832, 80NSSC25K7731, and 80NSSC24K0728 funding.
3. Muddana C, Desai GM, Wangikar PP, Zhang F, Pakrasi HB, Tang YJ.Anabaena-A promising chassis for space exploration.npj Microgravity. 2026 Feb 18. Review.PI: Y.J. TangNote: This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 5.1
   
   Funding: “This work is supported by NASA Biological and Physical Sciences program grant number 80NSSC25M7144, NSF Award Number 2428256, Department of Energy (Energy Earthshots) award (#DE -SC0024702), and AFOSR Space Bioscience Program (#FA9550 -25 – 1 -0007).”
4. Flynn-Evans EE, Tyson TL, Costedoat G, Pradhan S, Stone LS.Chronic sleep restriction induces oculomotor impairment with inadequate compensation.Sleep Adv. 2026 Jan 30;7(1):zpaf095.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: Not available for this journal
   
   Funding: “This study was funded by the NASA Human Research Program, Human Factors and Behavioral Health Element and the San José State University Research Foundation.”

Other papers of interest:

1. Boyle MJ, Pohlen M, Lehnhardt K, Parmar P, Easter B.X-ray and ultrasound for human spaceflight using the NASA IMPACT conditions list.Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2026 Mar 1;97(3):176-84.
2. Li N, Zhang X, Luo H, Zhou J, Du Y, Zhang Z, Lü D, Zhang Y, Lü S, Luo Q, Song G, Sun S, Long M.Shear flow alleviates spaceflight-induced hepatic lipid dysregulation via suppression of SREBP mechanotransduction.Sci Bull (Beijing). 2026 Feb 2. Online ahead of print.Note: This article is a Short Communication.
3. Lung CF, Lu HH, Chung CY, Lin PT, Hsu YC.A systematic review of microgravity on reproductive systems: Implications for space biology and human health.iScience. 2026 Feb 20;29(2):114663. Review.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
4. Maghrabi AH, Maghrabi MA.The Sun-Earth-health connection: A short review of potential mechanisms and implications.Int J Biometeorol. 2026 Feb 14;70(2):61. Review.
5. Mollan SP, Bailey DM.Beyond intracranial pressure: Cerebrospinal fluid compartmentalization in spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome.Exp Physiol. 2026 Feb 15. Online ahead of print.Note: This article is a Viewpoint and may be obtained online without charge.
6. Lambertini L, Santonicola MG, Laurenzi S.Flexible PVA/BA gel for passive radiation shielding in spacesuit applications beyond LEO.Acta Astronaut. 2026 Jun;243:149-61.Note: From the abstract: “Protection of astronauts from intense space radiation during long-term missions to the Moon or Mars remains a critical challenge. With space agencies planning permanent lunar bases as gateways for deep-space exploration, enhancing radiation shielding in spacesuits during extravehicular activities (EVAs) is essential. This study explores the feasibility of integrating poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based gels as an intermediate shielding layer between the pressure bladder garment (PBG) and the liquid cooling and ventilation garment (LCVG), without altering suit geometry or increasing layer thickness.” This article may be obtained online without charge.
7. Möller FN, Haarslev C, Mølgaard J, Harris NS, Petersen JCG, Petersen LG.UHAB-1: Physiological responses to a 48-hour spaceflight analog mission underwater.Life Sci Space Res. 2026 Feb 17. Online ahead of print.Note: From the abstract: “This study presents physiological responses from a proof-of-concept 48-hour mission in a novel single-occupancy underwater habitat (UHAB-1) designed as a high-fidelity analog for spaceflight.”
8. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.A science strategy for the human exploration of Mars.Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2025. 240 p.
9. D’Annunzio F, Fiscon G, Conte F, Paci P, Bianco MD, Ioio RD.Exploring differential gene correlations in Arabidopsis thaliana for sustainable space farming.Biotechnol Rep (Amst). 2026 Mar;49:e00949. Early access article.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
10. Kim YJ, Park S, Kim S.Comparison of clinostat control strategies to achieve simulated microgravity with uniform gravity vector distribution.npj Microgravity. 2026 Feb 14. Early access article.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
11. Shakir MZ, Lu G, Usmani MW, Ullah I, Liu J, Zhou X, Zhao Y, Du Q, Chen H, Imran M, Ning J, Ashraf M, Wang N, Liu X.Gastrodia elata Blume (Tianma) extract mitigates simulated microgravity-induced oxidative stress and enhance learning and memory in Caenorhabditis elegans.Life Sci Space Res. 2026 Feb 14. Online ahead of print.
12. Wang Y, Wang R, Qin X, Pan Y, Li C, Sun X.PIEZO1 mediates apoptosis of endothelial cells via enhancing HMGA2 expression under simulated microgravity.Int J Mol Sci. 2026 Jan 30;27(3):1425.Note: From the article: “In this study, we conducted an in vitro experiment to investigate the effect of simulated microgravity on PIEZO1 expression in HUVECs. The cells were subjected to clinorotation for 48 hto mimic the effects of microgravity.” This article may be obtained online without charge.
13. Chen L, He X, Wang H, Hu S, Zhao H, Ni G, Yan H, Chen L, Deng C, Luo F.Physiological and molecular dynamic changes during 23-day high-altitude exposure reveal novel biomarkers for acclimatization.Front Physiol. 2026 Feb 18;17:1763837.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
14. Coffey A, Marston P, Smith TG, Annicelli L, Bilger C, Pollock RD, Hodkinson PD.A proposed framework for the application of physiological monitoring in fast-jet aviation.Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2026 Mar 1;97(3):218-23.
15. Cucinotta FA.Multinomial probability model of radiation induced DSB and non-DSB clusters: Tandem and bistranded damage clusters.Sci Rep. 2026 Feb 9. Early access article.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
16. Dabur R, Yadav A.Programmed cell death and its implications for skeletal muscle wasting.Indian J Clin Biochem. 2026 Feb;41(1):31-41. Review.
17. Dart T, Mock J, Beer J.Modeling intercapillary distance as a regulator of tissue denitrogenation rate.Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2026 Mar 1;97(3):137-44.Note: From the abstract: “Removing nitrogen gas from body tissue by breathing 100% oxygen (denitrogenation) before exposure to a low-pressure environment reduces risk of decompression sickness (DCS) caused by nitrogen bubble formation. This is a priority in activities that include DCS risk such as unpressurized flight or astronaut extravehicular activity. Tissue denitrogenation is determined by perfusion, so modeling intercapillary distance (ICD) as a perfusion characteristic could be exploited to predict denitrogenation efficiency.”
18. Feltman KA, Wilkins J, Persson I, Stonehouse S.Neurophysiological measures to detect spatial disorientation.Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2026 Mar 1;97(3):194-203.
19. Gray G, Holdsworth D, Guettler N, Broekhuizen L, Syburra T, d’Arcy J, Bron D, Manen O, Davenport E.Coronary artery disease detection and disposition in aircrew.Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2026 Mar 1;97(3):210-7.
20. Johnson BJ, Lipford ME, Barcus RA, Schaaf GW, Andrews RN, Kim J, Olson JD, Deycmar S, Reed CA, Whitlow CT, Cline JM.Total-body irradiation reduces cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2026 Feb 12. Online ahead of print.
21. Morcos A, Galvan Bustillos J, Jung Y, Fuller RN, Bertucci A, Caba Molina D, Nguyen A, Zhang Q, Boyle KE, Langridge WHR, Vazquez M, Wall NR.Seco-duocarmycin SA augments the impact of proton radiation on human glioblastoma cells.Int J Mol Sci. 2026 Feb 4;27(3):1532.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.