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NK Cells Assessments: A Thirty-Year-Old History of Immune Stress Interaction in Space

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Stress Challenges and Immunity in Space

Abstract

Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes of the innate immune system that are critical in resistance against infection, viral infection in particular, and tumors. The past three decades of research have revealed that spaceflight factors change NK cell function of humans. The alterations that have been observed after long-duration spaceflights include altered: NK cell cytotoxicity, NK cell ability to form conjugates with target cells, NK cell percentages in peripheral blood, early NK cell activation. The magnitude and pattern of these changes can differ between missions and even between crew members on the same mission. However, an increase in the flight duration from 2 to 14 months does not lead to increased changes of the cytotoxic activity of NK cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. SSC RF – Institute of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    Boris Morukov, Marina Rykova & Eugenia Antropova

Authors
  1. Boris Morukov
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  2. Marina Rykova
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  3. Eugenia Antropova
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Correspondence to Marina Rykova .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Klinikum Großhadern, Klinik für Anästhesiologie und, Universitätsklinikum München, Marchioninistr. 15, München, 81377, Germany

    Alexander Chouker

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Morukov, B., Rykova, M., Antropova, E. (2012). NK Cells Assessments: A Thirty-Year-Old History of Immune Stress Interaction in Space. In: Chouker, A. (eds) Stress Challenges and Immunity in Space. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22272-6_11

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