T cell transcriptomes in simulated microgravity in vivo

Long-term simulated microgravity in ten healthy male volunteers is linked to altered CD3+ T cell transcriptomes, with coordinated temporal shifts across donors despite strong inter-individual heterogeneity.

• Why it matters: Microgravity’s effects on human immune function are poorly defined, and it is unclear how T cell gene programs change during exposure and recovery.
• What they did: Ten volunteers underwent a three-week dry immersion protocol without countermeasures, with CD3+ T cells RNA-seq at days -7, 7, 14, 21, and 28; differential expression per volunteer and KEGG pathway enrichment identified affected networks.
• The result: SMG-associated transcript changes involved pathways for proliferation, cell-cycle control, genome integrity, and oncogenic/tumor-suppressor networks, with hub genes altered in most volunteers and partial baseline return by day 28 without detectable systemic inflammation.

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