Abstract

Do Cells in Simulated Microgravity Care about Their Cellular Microenvironment?

Mei ElGindi, Research Associate, New York University Abu Dhabi

As interest in human spaceflight rises, understanding the adverse effects caused on the human body becomes more critical. It is well known that the immune system is negatively impacted by exposure to microgravity, although the precise mechanisms behind this have yet to be completely understood. As excising tissue samples from astronauts is invasive, studies are limited to studying these effects either from peripheral blood or in traditional 2D in vitro settings. To increase the knowledge of the extent by which cells in tissues are modulated by microgravity, we established a 3D cell culture model based on collagen matrices. Our tissue model can be fine-tuned to recapitulate different physiologically and pathologically relevant conditions. In combination with our engineered microvessel, we are able to miniaturize cell culture systems for high-throughput biomimetic studies. Currently, our work focuses on changes at a phenotypic, functional, and transcriptome level to better understand how simulated microgravity affects immune cells, in particular, dendritic cells and T cells. Our data indicate that the density of the cellular microenvironment plays a role in how microgravity affects cells of the immune system.