ASAcampus research

On Microgravity Science and Technology, prestigious international magazine, it has been recently published the work conducted by the team of Dr. Monica Monici, person in charge of ASA Campus. Please find the abstract hereinafter.

DOES THE EXPOSURE TO MICROGRAVITY AFFECT DENDRITIC CELL MATURATION FROM MONOCYTES?

Monica Monici⁽¹⁾, Venere Basile⁽²⁾, Lydia Bellik⁽³⁾, Franco Fusi⁽²⁾, Nicola Marziliano⁽⁴⁾, Astrid Parenti⁽³⁾, Giovanni Romano⁽²⁾, Antonio Conti⁽²⁾

1. 1) ASAcampus-ASA Research Division, Dept. of Clinical Physiopathology, University of Florence,V.le Pieraccini 6, I-50139 Florence, Italy, e-mail: monica.monici@unifi.it
2. 2) Dept. of Clinical Physiopathology, University of Florence, V.le Pieraccini 6, I-50139 Florence, Italy
3. 3) Dept. of Pharmacology, University of Florence, V.le Pieraccini 6, I-50139 Florence, Italy
4. 4) IRCCF, San Matteo Hospital, P.le Golgi 2, I-27100, Pavia, Italy

ABSTRACT

The exposure to microgravity conditions results in a significant impairment of the immune function. Many reports describe morphological and functional changes in T-lymphocytes, monocytes and neutrophil granulocytes cultured in microgravity, both real and modelled, but very few studies have been made on the effect of microgravity on dendritic cells (DCs) and DC differentiation. DCs are able to process antigens and are the most efficient cells in presenting them to T-lymphocytes, thus giving a crucial contribution to the rise of an effective immune response. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the maturation of DCs from monocytes of astronauts was altered postflight. Blood samples from a crew-member of the Eneide mission were collected before the flight, soon after the return to earth and one year after the mission. In order to generate DCs, monocytes were used as precursors. They were separated, cultured for 6 days in medium supplemented with granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin 4 (IL-4), then furtherly stimulated for 24 hours with a cocktail of cytokines. Differentiation was assessed by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence, assaying the expression of typical DC markers. Gene expression was analysed by RT-PCR. Morphological and functional characteristics were studied by autofluorescence microscopy. The findings showed that the maturation of DCs from monocytes collected from the astronaut immediately postflight was altered. In comparison with controls, significant differences were found in expression of DC markers, expression of genes involved in DC maturation, morphological and functional characteristics.