NOTE: End date changed to 06/29/2024 per NSSC information (Ed., 7/20/23).

NOTE: End date changed to 06/30/2023 per NSSC information (Ed., 8/5/22).

This tissue sharing proposal is part of an on-going collaboration between Dr. Catherine Davis at Uniformed Services University, who is currently funded by NASA to investigate the cognitive degradation in rats exposed to space radiation. Our lab has been collecting the hind limbs from her studies to investigate the corresponding bone strength changes in these rats. Neurobehavioral assessments include odor recognition memory tests and sustained attention tests. A multi-length scale approach will be performed to assess the corresponding bone health changes. Bone health assessments include microstructural (microCT scans), material property (micro-indentation), and whole bone (3-point bending) evaluations of bone strength. Analysis will be performed on CNS and bone endpoint measurements to determine whether the neurobehavioral deficits are predictive of declines in bone strength. The work is significant to NASA’s goal for astronaut health during long duration spaceflight. Establishing a relationship between the CNS and bone response to radiation can provide valuable information for potential mechanisms and countermeasure targets for both systems.

In the 2024-2025 performance period, we collected additional specimens for the GCR Study, completed all biomechanical testing and microCT scanning on these additional animals. And finished up microCT imaging of the skull caps from the high dose head-only radiation in a mini-pig animal model.

All experimental biomechanical testing (i.e., 3-point bending, microindentation) as well as microCT Scans for these specimens have been completed. The quantitative image process and computational modeling of the microCT image data are ongoing. The final statistical analysis of all the bone endpoint measurements is ongoing. The analysis to investigate the relationships between bone and the central nervous system response to radiation will be completed when the analysis of all the longitudinal neurobehavioral data from this final cohort of animals is completed.

As part of Post-Doc Dr. Laura Bowman's NASA Human Research Program (HRP) Augmentation Award, blood ELISAs were performed to evaluate radiation effects on circulating biomarkers of bone metabolism.

In addition, skeletal tissues from 12 minipigs exposed to head-directed radiation were analyzed with biomechanical testing and microCT imaging. We are currently waiting for the second half of the animal exposure study to be performed (12 additional minipigs) to complete the study.

NOTE: End date changed to 06/29/2024 per NSSC information (Ed., 7/20/23).

NOTE: End date changed to 06/30/2023 per NSSC information (Ed., 8/5/22).

This tissue sharing proposal is part of an on-going collaboration between Dr. Catherine Davis at Uniformed Services University, who is currently funded by NASA to investigate the cognitive degradation in rats exposed to space radiation. Our lab has been collecting the hind limbs from her studies to investigate the corresponding bone strength changes in these rats. Neurobehavioral assessments include odor recognition memory tests and sustained attention tests. A multi-length scale approach will be performed to assess the corresponding bone health changes. Bone health assessments include microstructural (microCT scans), material property (micro-indentation), and whole bone (3-point bending) evaluations of bone strength. Analysis will be performed on CNS and bone endpoint measurements to determine whether the neurobehavioral deficits are predictive of declines in bone strength. The work is significant to NASA’s goal for astronaut health during long duration spaceflight. Establishing a relationship between the CNS and bone response to radiation can provide valuable information for potential mechanisms and countermeasure targets for both systems.

In the 2023-2024 performance period, we are also exploring the effects of high dose head-only radiation in a mini-pig animal model.

While waiting for final cohort of subjects to be collected, we have been expanding the infrastructure in the lab through new equipment purchases. This includes a Hysitron TS77 Nanoindenter to perform smaller scale indentation tests on the bone, a Keyence VHX-7100 Digital Microscope to perform imaging of the cortical bone cross sections, and a Scanco uCT50 microCT Scanner, which is scheduled to be delivered August/September of 2024. MicroCT analysis and subsequent Finite Element Modeling for these final cohort of subjects will be performed during the Fall 2024 Semester once the microCT scanner is installed and online.

We have also been scaling up our analysis and equipment to perform biomechanical analyses on the hindlimb and cranial bones of minipigs exposed to high doses of head-only radiation as part of a costed-extension.

NOTE: End date changed to 06/30/2023 per NSSC information (Ed., 8/5/22).

This tissue sharing proposal is part of an on-going collaboration between Dr. Catherine Davis at Uniformed Services University, who is currently funded by NASA to investigate the cognitive degradation in rats exposed to space radiation. Our lab has been collecting the hind limbs from her studies to investigate the corresponding bone strength changes in these rats. Neurobehavioral assessments include odor recognition memory tests and sustained attention tests. A multi-length scale approach will be performed to assess the corresponding bone health changes. Bone health assessments include microstructural (microCT scans), material property (micro-indentation), and whole bone (3-point bending) evaluations of bone strength. Analysis will be performed on CNS and bone endpoint measurements to determine whether the neurobehavioral deficits are predictive of declines in bone strength. The work is significant to NASA’s goal for astronaut health during long duration spaceflight. Establishing a relationship between the CNS and bone response to radiation can provide valuable information for potential mechanisms and countermeasure targets for both systems.

Animals from an Acute and Protracted Proton Exposure Cohort have been collected at 7, 30, 90, and 180 days after exposure, with biomechanical analysis ongoing.

This tissue sharing proposal is part of an on-going collaboration between Dr. Catherine Davis at Uniformed Services University, who is currently funded by NASA to investigate the cognitive degradation in rats exposed to space radiation. Our lab has been collecting the hind limbs from her studies to investigate the corresponding bone strength changes in these rats. Neurobehavioral assessments include odor recognition memory tests and sustained attention tests. A multi-length scale approach will be performed to assess the corresponding bone health changes. Bone health assessments include microstructural (microCT scans), material property (micro-indentation), and whole bone (3-point bending) evaluations of bone strength. Analysis will be performed on CNS and bone endpoint measurements to determine whether the neurobehavioral deficits are predictive of declines in bone strength. The work is significant to NASA’s goal for astronaut health during long duration spaceflight. Establishing a relationship between the CNS and bone response to radiation can provide valuable information for potential mechanisms and countermeasure targets for both systems.

This tissue sharing proposal is part of an on-going collaboration between Dr. Catherine Davis at Uniformed Services University, who is currently funded by NASA to investigate the cognitive degradation in rats exposed to space radiation. Our lab has been collecting the hind limbs from her studies to investigate the corresponding bone strength changes in these rats. Neurobehavioral assessments include odor recognition memory tests and sustained attention tests. A multi-length scale approach will be performed to assess the corresponding bone health changes. Bone health assessments include microstructural (microCT scans), material property (micro-indentation), and whole bone (3-point bending) evaluations of bone strength. Analysis will be performed on CNS and bone endpoint measurements to determine whether the neurobehavioral deficits are predictive of declines in bone strength. The work is significant to NASA’s goal for astronaut health during long duration spaceflight. Establishing a relationship between the CNS and bone response to radiation can provide valuable information for potential mechanisms and countermeasure targets for both systems.