Cosmic kidney disease: an integrated pan-omic, physiological and morphological study into spaceflight-induced renal dysfunction
- Siew K, Nestler KA, Nelson C, D’Ambrosio V, Zhong C, Li Z, Grillo A, Wan ER, Patel V, Overbey E, Kim J, Yun S, Vaughan MB, Cheshire C, Cubitt L, Broni-Tabi J, Al-Jaber MY, Boyko V, Meydan C, Barker P, Arif S, Afsari F, Allen N, Al-Maadheed M, Altinok S, Bah N, Border S, Brown AL, Burling K, Cheng-Campbell M, Colón LM, Degoricija L, Figg N, Finch R, Foox J, Faridi P, French A, Gebre S, Gordon P, Houerbi N, Valipour Kahrood H, Kiffer FC, Klosinska AS, Kubik A, Lee HC, Li Y, Lucarelli N, Marullo AL, Matei I, McCann CM, Mimar S, Naglah A, Nicod J, O’Shaughnessy KM, Oliveira LC, Oswalt L, Patras LI, Lai Polo SH, Rodríguez-Lopez M, Roufosse C, Sadeghi-Alavijeh O, Sanchez-Hodge R, Paul AS, Schittenhelm RB, Schweickart A, Scott RT, Choy Lim Kam Sian TC, da Silveira WA, Slawinski H, Snell D, Sosa J, Saravia-Butler AM, Tabetah M, Tanuwidjaya E, Walker-Samuel S, Yang X, Yasmin, Zhang H, Godovac-Zimmermann J, Sarder P, Sanders LM, Costes SV, Campbell RA, Karouia F, Mohamed-Alis V, Rodriques S, Lynham S, Steele JR, Baranzini S, Fazelinia H, Dai Z, Uruno A, Shiba D, Yamamoto M, A.C.Almeida E, Blaber E, Schisler JC, Eisch AJ, Muratani M, Zwart SR, Smith SM, Galazka JM, Mason CE, Beheshti A, Walsh SB
- June 11, 2024
This research study aimed to understand how space travel affects astronauts' health by looking at changes in their urine and blood before they go into space, during a mission on the International Space Station (ISS), and after returning home. The scientists focused specifically on proteins called NCC that are important for kidney function because problems with these can lead to serious issues like chronic kidney disease or even end-stage renal failure if not treated properly. The study included 66 NASA astronauts who spent up to two months in space and four SpaceX crew members on a three-day trip, all of whom provided samples for testing before their flights (pre-flight), during the flight days while they were aboard ISS (in orbit), and after returning back from space. The researchers measured levels of these NCC proteins in urine and blood to see if there are any changes that might indicate health risks due to being in a microgravity environment, which is different than what we experience on Earth's surface.
Title: Physiological Measurements of Urinary and Plasma Markers during Spaceflight Exposure among NASA Astronauts and Inspiration4 Crew Members Abstract (Key Findings): This study aimed to assess the physiological changes in urine and plasma markers, specifically NCC expression levels, following spaceflight exposure. The research involved 66 NASA astronauts who were exposed for up to 180 days of space travel and four Inspiration4 SpaceX crew members on a three-day mission. Physiological measurements focused on urinary and plasma markers pre-, during (FD), and after returning from spaceflight (R). The study found significant alterations in the expression levels of NCC, with implications for understanding potential health risks associated with prolonged exposure to microgravity environments. Methodology: Urine and blood samples were collected before flight, on landing day, and upon return after 180 days (NASA astronauts) or three days (Inspiration4 crew).
MLA
K, Siew, et al. “Cosmic kidney disease: an integrated pan-omic, physiological and morphological study into spaceflight-induced renal dysfunction.” PubMed Central, National Center for Biotechnology Information, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11167060/. Accessed 30 Sept 2026.
Chicago
K, Siew, et al. “Cosmic kidney disease: an integrated pan-omic, physiological and morphological study into spaceflight-induced renal dysfunction.” PubMed Central. 30 September 2026. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11167060/.
