Abstract

Mimicking Lung Infection & Host Defense in Astronauts

Andrei Georgescu, Researcher, University of Pennsylvania

Infections are commonly reported onboard spacecraft, but the mechanisms responsible are not well understood, with both tissue-specific and systemic responses in the bone marrow having been implicated. We have designed living, breathing, thumbnail-sized 3D models of the human lung and bone marrow to test the dynamics of lung infection in astronauts, and better understand the cause of this immunosuppression—which is especially worrisome for extended journeys to Mars and beyond.