title: Space exploration and toxicology: a new frontier.
abstract: Results of the microbial and immunological studies discussed above clearly illustrate an in-flight or post-flight blunting of the cellular immune mechanism in humans and test animals, coincident with a relative increase in pathogenic microorganisms. This situation predicts an increased incidence of in-flight infectious disease events. To prevent this from occurring, most observers agree that a robust program of preflight and in-flight immunological and microbiological monitoring, combined with an effective countermeasures program, are required for optimally successful long-duration spaceflight.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester, New York 14642.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oberdörster
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rabin
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clarkson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Irons
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sonnenfeld
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D013026:Space Flight; D014116:Toxicology / Q000639:trends*