title: Could spaceflight-associated immune system weakening preclude the expansion of human presence beyond Earth's orbit?
abstract: This year, we celebrate the 40th birthday of the first landing of humans on the moon. By 2020, astronauts should return to the lunar surface and establish an outpost there that will provide a technical basis for future manned missions to Mars. This paper summarizes major constraints associated with a trip to Mars, presents immunological hazards associated with this type of mission, and shows that our current understanding of the immunosuppressive effects of spaceflight is limited. Weakening of the immune system associated with spaceflight is therefore an area that should be considered more thoroughly before we undertake prolonged space voyages.
authors.affiliation: Development and Immunogenetics Team, Nancy-University, Faculté de Médecine, 5400 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, JE 2537, France.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Guéguinou
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huin-Schohn
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bascove
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bueb
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tschirhart
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Legrand-Frossi
authors.forename: Jean-Pol
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Frippiat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology*; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D018535:Mars; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D016081:Moon; D013026:Space Flight / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014774:Virulence