NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,183 16 January 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. Anderson KD, Spector ER, Ploutz-Snyder R, Yardley G, Watts NB, Hans D, Sibonga JD.The effects of spaceflight countermeasures on trabecular bone score (TBS) of the lumbar spine.Arch Osteoporos. 2026 Jan 13;21(1):24.Note: ISS results. This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 2.8
   
   Funding: “The work reported in this paper was supported by the Human Health Countermeasures Element of the NASA Human Research Program.”
2. Volter A, Atkin J, Curry A, Dixit A, Tucker R, Roberts H, Hummerick M, Blancaflor EB, O’Rourke A.Transposon sequencing reveals Burkholderia gene fitness in a spaceflight-relevant plant-pathogen interaction.Appl Environ Microbiol. 2026 Jan 13;e0194125. Online ahead of print.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 3.7
   
   Funding: “This project thanks NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS) Division for the personnel support of Aubrie O’Rourke, as well as NASA’s Science Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) funding for Anya Volter, a NASA Science and Technology Graduate Research Opportunity (NSTGRO) fellow, and a fiscal year 2024 Center Innovation Fund (CIF) entitled, ‘Microbial Tracking During Plant Growth Using Fluorescence Reporter Strains.'”
3. Dev SI, Moody ND, Arias DP, Bell ST.Fly me to the moon: Family conferencing with communication delays on lunar missions.Acta Astronaut. 2026 Jan 10. Online ahead of print.Journal Impact Factor: 3.4
   
   Funding: S.I. Dev, N.D. Moody, D.P. Arias, and S.T. Bell are affiliated with NASA Johnson Space Center.
4. Veres J, Almeida EAC, Bailey J, O’Connell GD.The effect of spaceflight on tissues of the spinal column.Bone Reports. 2026 Jan 2;101895. Review.Journal Impact Factor: 2.6
   
   Funding: “This work was supported by the UC Berkeley Department of Mechanical Engineering. EACA was supported by NASA Grant NNH14ZTT001N14 -14SF.”
5. Wang T, Odor RJ, Dios YE, Mulder E, Bloomberg JJ, Wood SJ, Seidler RD.Brain displacement and nonlinear deformation following human spaceflight.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2026 Jan 20;123(3):e2505682122.PI: R.D. SeidlerNote: From the abstract: “When humans return from space, their average brain position is higher within the cranial compartment. Here, we evaluated brain regional shift magnitudes and deformations and their behavioral correlates. We analyzed MRI data from 26 astronauts and 24 participants from a long-duration head-down tilt bedrest study.”
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 9.1
   
   Funding: “This work was funded by NASA NNX11AR02G and NASA 80NSSC18K0783.”
6. Wei F, Ngo C, Neal CJ, Kolanthai E, Schwartzman JD, Omer M, Dore J, Aziz A, Jimenez-Chavez L, Pugazhendhi AS, Kinzel M, Adhikary A, Seal S, Coathup M.A novel bone shield to improve skeletal health during space exploration and for disuse conditions on Earth.Adv Healthc Mater. 2026 Jan 10;e03961. Online ahead of print.Journal Impact Factor: 9.6
   
   Funding: “80NSSC21M0309/NASA/NASA/United States; National Science Foundation; ECCS:1726636/Major Research Instrumentation; 25080760/University of Central Florida; Directorate for Biological Sciences.”
7. Yaram S, Bostic A, Smalley A, Srivastava SK.Simulated microgravity induces rapid dielectric shifts in erythrocytes of pancreatic cancer patients.ACS Nanoscience Au. 2026 Jan 7. Online ahead of print.Note: A 2D clinostat was used in this study to simulate microgravity.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 6.3
   
   Funding: “NASA EPSCoR WV Seed Grant.”
8. Sabo JA, Hartson SD.Simulated microgravity-induced changes in SUMOylation and protein expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Dec 19;27(1):42.Note: This article is part of Special Issue “Advances in Yeast Engineering and Stress Responses” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms/special_issues/189F8PL45X) and may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 4.9
   
   Funding: “This research was funded by National Aeronautics and Space Administration, grant number 80NSSC19K0428.”

Other papers of interest:

1. Huss P, Chitboonthavisuk C, Meger A, Nishikawa K, Oates RP, Mills H, Holzhaus O, Raman S.Microgravity reshapes bacteriophage-host coevolution aboard the International Space Station.PLoS Biol. 2026 Jan 13;24(1):e3003568.Note: ISS results. This article may be obtained online without charge.
2. Ball BK, Khan HF, Park JH, Jayant K, Chan DD, Brubaker DK.Integrated cross-species translation and biophysical multi-scale modeling links molecular signatures and locomotory phenotypes in spaceflight-induced sarcopenia.npj Microgravity. 2026 Jan 12. Early access article.Note: From the abstract: “Here, we introduced an integrative framework combining cross-species genetic analysis with physiological modeling to understand mechanistic pathways in space-induced sarcopenia. By analyzing rodent and human datasets, we identified conserved molecular pathways underlying spaceflight-induced muscle atrophy, revealing shared regulators of neuromuscular signaling including pathways related to neurotransmitter release and regulation, mitochondrial function, and synaptic integration.” This article may be obtained online without charge.
3. Carmignani A, Marino A, Battaglini M, Belenli Gümüş M, Carrubba E, Balsamo M, Valentini G, Mascetti G, Vukich M, Genchi GG, Ciofani GPolydopamine-based antioxidant countermeasures against spaceflight-induced neurodegeneration.Small Sci. 2026 Jan;6(1):e202500510.Note: From the introduction: “In this study, the neuroprotective properties of polydopamine nanoparticles (PDNPs), known for their antioxidant activity, are investigated on neuron-like cells exposed to different gravitational and radiation regimes. Culture conditions included administration of PDNPs and permanence aboard the International Space Station (ISS) or on a random positioning machine.” This article may be obtained online without charge.
4. Clifford P, Farhan Z, Mosalakanti J, Gadicherla A, Din I, Suh A, Ong J, Waisberg E, Berdahl J, Lee AG.Applications of the ocular trauma score (OTS) as a framework for spaceflight related ocular trauma (SROT) triage and management.Life Sci Space Res. 2026 Jan 13. Review. Online ahead of print.
5. Fuentealba M, Kim J, Hirschberg JW, Shirah B, Overbey EG, Mason C, Furman D.Astronauts as a human aging model: Epigenetic age responses to space exposure.Aging Cell. 2026 Jan 11;25(2):e70360.Note: This article is a Short Communication and may be obtained online without charge.
6. Giguère R, Marois A, Fortin-Guichard D, Charest J, Rocheleau J, Thompson K, Stolberg M, St-Martin P, Bergouignan A, Niaussat V, Paquette J-S, Gagnon M-P, Sasseville M, Rhèaume C.Space exploration and lifestyle medicine: A narrative review of its implications for astronaut health and remote Earth-based environments.Front Physiol. 2026 Jan 13;16:2025.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
7. Lee JH, Kim H, Kim DY.Ocular risks of spaceflight and a path to prevention: Targeting mitochondria-ER stress with low-intensity ultrasound.Faseb j. 2026 Jan 31;40(2):e71462.
8. Wells-Jensen S.The technology already exists to send blind people into space.J Vis Impair Blind. 2026 Jan 8;0145482X251411532. Online ahead of print.
9. Murphy HK, Carneiro J, Edmonson F, Causey TP, Elsaid SG, Loureiro R, Palmer AG.Algae at the final frontier: A review of the potential applications of macroalgae in space.In: Critchley AT, Hurtado AQ, Neish IC, Pereira L, eds. Advances in Temperate Phyconomy: Algal Harvest and Cultivation in Globally Distributed Temperate Waters: Part I. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2026. p. 465-91.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
10. Rybacki B, Wysocki W, Zajkowski T, Brodzik R, Krawczyk B.Effects of microgravity, hypergravity, and ionizing radiation on the enzymatic activity of proteinase K.Molecules. 2026 Jan 9;31(2):229.Note: A rotating wall vessel was used to simulate microgravity. This article may be obtained online without charge.
11. Tavukçuoğlu E, Yanık H, Güven HE, Yılmaz KB, Esendağlı G.Spaceflight alters the immune regulatory functions of neutrophil granulocytes on T lymphocytes.iScience. 2026 Jan 16;29(1):114380.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
12. Wehland M, Corydon TJ, González-Torres LF, Abdelfattah F, Sahana J, Schulz H, Mushunuri A, Burenkova H, Wuest SL, Krüger M, Kraus A, Grimm D.New knowledge about tissue engineering under microgravity conditions in space and on Earth.Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Dec 28;27(1):341. Review.Note: This article is part of Special Issue “Microgravity, Cell Shape and Gene Expression: State of the Art, Challenges and Prospects” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms/special_issues/2C75Y41K9S) and may be obtained online without charge.
13. Yuan J, Zhang S, Xu Y, He C, Cai Z, Wang Z, Chen Q.Microgravity and cancer cells: From molecular mechanisms to therapeutic strategies.Cell Death Discov. 2026 Jan 9;12(1):9. Review.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
14. Maria-Eleni M, Evelina C.The impact of actual and simulated space conditions on the gut microbiome and the modulatory role of nutrition: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Acta Astronaut. 2026 Jan 14. Online ahead of print.
15. Zhang Y, Zhao L, Du X, Sun Y.Integrating single-sample networks and genetic algorithm to estimate radiation dose in multiple tissues of mice under space environment.Radiat Res. 2026 Jan 14. Online ahead of print.
16. Alchinova IB, Cherepov AB, Shoibonov BB, Puchkova AA, Karganov MY.Potentially atherogenic combined biochemical and physiological changes in human antiorthostatic hypokinesia.Bull Exp Biol Med. 2026 Jan 9. Online ahead of print.Note: From the abstract: “We analyzed the relation between the blood content of modified low-density lipoproteins (mLDL), total hemolytic complement activity (TACS), and heart function parameters in patients with 21-day antiorthostatic hypokinesia. Healthy male volunteers were subjected to 6° head-down bedrest for 21 days.”
17. Badalì C, Wollseiffen P, Puck L, Klein T, Schneider S.Neurophysiological markers of cognitive workload under altered gravity conditions using a gamified dual-task paradigm.Sci Rep. 2026 Jan 9;16(1):1292.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
18. Li C, Wang X, Cui S.High-altitude hypoxia exacerbates gastric mucosal damage and regulates the Nrf2 signaling pathway in Helicobacter pylori-infected mice.Front Physiol. 2026 Jan 8;16:1724998.Note: This article is part of Research Topic “Physiological and Pathological Responses to Hypoxia and High Altitude, Volume IV” (https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/74860/physiological-and-pathological-responses-to-hypoxia-and-high-altitude-volume-iv/articles). This article may be obtained online without charge.
19. Li Q, Duan Y, Xiong Y, Yu S, Tashenmaimaiti D, Kong X, Huang G.Ethylene regulates shoot gravitropism and tiller angle in rice.New Crops. 2026 Jan 10;100102.
20. Sezikli S, Yıldız N, Kalaoglu E, Alkım Özkan I, Yurtseven M, Aydin T, Kumru H, Karacan I, Türker KS.Gravity-induced inhibition of the H-reflex and the modulatory potential of the bone myoregulation reflex.Life Sci Space Res. 2026 Jan 9. Online ahead of print.
21. Yang Y, Zhang Y, Chang L, Liu H, Chen B, Tao L, Qian Z.An integrated microfluidic culture model for photodynamic therapy evaluations under normoxic and hypoxic conditions.Photochem Photobiol Sci. 2026 Jan 12.Note: From the abstract: “Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a clinically approved cancer treatment that combines photosensitizer, oxygen, and light to generate cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS). Its efficacy is often compromised by restricted drug and light penetration, and hypoxic microenvironments in solid tumors, making it essential to establish in vitro models that can recapitulate these features for PDT studies and treatment optimization. In this work, we present a microfluidic platform incorporating an agarose gel-embedded tumor cell culture that enables precise geometric and environmental control, including defined microchamber architecture, dynamic perfusion-based photosensitizer delivery, oxygen regulation, and tunable light exposure for systematic PDT efficacy evaluation.”

Astrobiology, space biology, space medicine, microgravity, NASA,