Space radiation effects on lipid composition of plasma and extracellular vesicles: lipidomic applications in astronaut physiology

• Grant number: 24/22462-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Metabolism and Bioenergetics
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Arterio Sorgi
• Grantee: Miguel Rocha Patricio
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/03414-5 - Integrated Analysis of Sphingolipid Metabolism and Extracellular Particle Composition in the Context of a Hight-Fat-Diet: Implications for Lipoproteins, Vesicle Biogenesis, and the Role in Macrophage Response to COVID-19, AP.R

Abstract

The space race, initiated during the Cold War (between 1957 and 1975), marked the beginning of the era in which humanity broke the barriers of planet Earth. Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut, became the first human to travel into space aboard Vostok 1. Later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, on the Apollo 11 mission, were the first to walk on the Moon, consolidating human potential for exploration beyond Earth's orbit. These achievements, however, did not come without challenges. Microgravity and space radiation raised concerns about the adaptation of the human body to extreme conditions, motivating the development of the field of Aerospace Medicine. This discipline has been extensively explored by agencies such as NASA, aiming to improve human safety and performance in short and long-duration missions, including future explorations on the Moon and Mars. In this context, molecular studies on the physiology of astronauts exposed to microgravity and space radiation have utilized advanced methodologies and specialized equipment, such as mass spectrometry. Multi-omics techniques are particularly important for understanding, systematically, the impacts of these conditions on the human organism. This project aims to apply high-resolution analytical techniques and bioinformatics tools to perform lipidomic analyses (not targeted to specific targets) on samples of human plasma and extracellular vesicles (EVs). The proposal includes evaluating the modifications and remodeling of lipids in in vitro experiments with gamma radiation, using a dose-response model. Additionally, in collaboration with researchers from the Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA) (https://soma.weill.cornell.edu/#main), we will analyze samples from astronauts of the Inspiration 4 mission, seeking to confirm the lipid patterns observed in our controlled laboratory conditions. Understanding the modulation and effects of space radiation on lipids can bring important physiological and immunological implications, contributing to greater safety and success in future space missions.