Responsible Center: NASA JSC
Grant Monitor: Whitmire, Alexandra
Center Contact: alexandra.m.whitmire@nasa.gov
Unique ID: 12220
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Solicitation / Funding Source: 2017 HERO 80JSC017N0001-Crew Health and Performance (FLAGSHIP1, OMNIBUS). Appendix A-Flagship1, Appendix B-Omnibus
Grant/Contract No.: 80JSC019T0007
Project Type: GROUND
Flight Program:
TechPort: No |
No. of Post Docs: 4
No. of PhD Candidates: 3
No. of Master's Candidates: 2
No. of Bachelor's Candidates: 2
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No. of PhD Degrees: 0
No. of Master's Degrees: 0
No. of Bachelor's Degrees: 0
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Human Research Program Elements: |
(1) HFBP:Human Factors & Behavioral Performance (IRP Rev H)
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Human Research Program Risks: |
(1) BMed:Risk of Adverse Cognitive or Behavioral Conditions and Psychiatric Disorders (2) Cardiovascular:Risk of Cardiovascular Adaptations Contributing to Adverse Mission Performance and Health Outcomes
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Human Research Program Gaps: |
(1) BMed-101:We need to identify, quantify, and validate the key selection factors for astronaut cognitive and behavioral strengths (e.g., resiliency) and operationally-relevant performance threats for increasingly Earth independent, long-duration, autonomous, and/or long-distance exploration missions. (2) BMed-102:Given exposures to spaceflight hazards (space radiation, isolation), how do we identify individual susceptibility, monitor molecular/biomarkers and acceptable thresholds, and validate behavioral health and CNS/neurological/neuropsychological performance measures and domains of relevance to exploration class missions? (3) BMed-103:What are the validated, efficacious treatments (individual or Team-based) and/or countermeasures to prevent adverse behavioral conditions, CNS/neurological, and/or psychiatric disorders caused by either single and/or integrated exposures to spaceflight hazards during exploration class missions? (4) BMed-107:What are the long-term changes and risks to astronaut health post-mission that, when using a continuity of care model, helps retrospectively identify and understand individual susceptibility (e.g., hereditary, dose, thresholds) to mitigate adverse CNS, cognitive, and behavioral health changes resulting from long-duration exploration missions, promoting the behavioral health of current and future crews? (5) BMed-108:Given each crewmember will experience multiple spaceflight hazards simultaneously, we need to identify and characterize the potential additive, antagonistic, or synergistic impacts of multiple stressors (e.g., space radiation, altered gravity, isolation, altered immune, altered sleep) on crew health and/or CNS/ cognitive functioning to develop threshold limits and validate countermeasures for any identified adverse crew health and/or operationally-relevant performance outcomes. (6) CV-102:Determine whether space radiation induces cardiovascular structural and functional changes and/or oxidative stress & damage (OSaD)/inflammation, that can contribute to development of disease.
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Flight Assignment/Project Notes: |
NOTE: End date changed to 09/30/2022 per L. Juliette/JSC (Ed., 5/8/22)
NOTE: End date changed to 4/30/2022 per PI information (Ed., 2/11/22)
NOTE: End date changed to 12/31/2021 per D. Kulkarni/HRP (Ed., 10/7/21)
NOTE: Period of performance changed to 4/1/2019-3/31/2021 per PI/NASA-LBL interagency agreement; previous information showed 11/28/18-11/27/20 (Ed., 9/5/19) |
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Task Description: |
Major objectives of the NASA space radiation research program are to enable human exploration of space without exceeding limits for immediate and persistent risks to the central nervous system (CNS) from space radiation. The proposed research will investigate the CNS subregions of rodents exposed to simulated space radiation for molecular indicators for vascular damage, inflammation, and neurological abnormalities after space radiation. This project will apply multi-omic technologies (proteomics, metabolomics, and bioinformatics) to archived CNS brain subregions from irradiated mouse and rat behavioral models.
The specific aims are:
Aim 1. Characterize the persistence of radiation-induced molecular abnormalities in cortex and hippocampus after low-dose exposures to 56Fe particles, and compare the predictions for CNS tissue damage and late-onset neuropathologies in similarly irradiated mice and rats.
Aim 2. Identify persistent bio-effect markers in peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that correlate with molecular damage in CNS vascular or immune functions. Our research plan will provide testable hypotheses of CNS tissue damage and identify molecular targets for susceptible pathways/functions of CNS damage.
This project will also provide proof-of-principle whether CNS damage relevant bio-effect metabolites can be detected in CSF and blood. This project will also identify radiation-sensitive pathways, suitable for future development of biological countermeasures to reduce CNS risks from space radiation. The results of this research are designed to help NASA reduce the uncertainty associated with during mission behavior and CNS risk for astronauts on deep space exploration missions. |
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Research Impact/Earth Benefits: |
The predictive model developed in this project will yield numerous hypotheses of mechanisms of CNS radiation damage that are either common or unique to cortex and hippocampus – these hypotheses will be tested in future studies by in situ analyses of archived frozen tissues and fixed contralateral hemispheres that are available from all animals in this proposal. This project will also provide proof-of-principle whether CNS damage relevant bio-effect metabolites can be detected in CSF and blood. This project will also identify radiation-sensitive pathways, suitable for future development of biological countermeasures to reduce CNS risks from space radiation. The results of this research are designed to help NASA reduce the uncertainty associated with during mission behavior and CNS risk for astronauts on deep space exploration missions. |