Piloted space flight and post-genomic technologies

Abstract

Space flight is an aggregation of the most extreme conditions that can be faced by humans. At present, space crews live and work aboard orbital stations in low Earth's orbits; however, controlled missions to the Moon and Mars planned for the near future will necessitate an extended autonomous existence of crews in the outer space. Although humanity seeks to explore deep space, space flight factors still pose a serious barrier to long-range missions. It is widely known that spaceflight factors disturb homeostatic systems of organism and impact functioning of the majority of physiological systems. According to the current concept, all changes occurring in the physiological systems during space flight are reversible. However, recovery of some systems after exposure in microgravity can be longer than actual mission duration. Nowadays the leading space agencies initiate research programs focused on molecular mechanisms of the spaceflight effects on human organism. It is believed that proteome remodeling in microgravity will shed light on molecular mechanisms and, specifically, signaling networks involved in the adaptive response of organism to the spaceflight environment. However none of the existing post-genomic technologies is applicable onboard spacecraft because of dimensions and mass of instruments, liquid behavior in microgravity and power constraints. Purpose of the review was to systemize the available proteomic data on the effects of spaceflight factors on the human organism obtained after real space flights and in ground simulation experiments. New molecular data will contribute to new physiotherapeutic methods and drugs development preventing undesirable changes in crew health.