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Experiment Overview


Information provided courtesy of the Erasmus Experiment Archive.
Brief Summary

Early studies on astronauts found that anemia (decrease of red blood cells in the blood stream) of individuals returning from a space flight was due to selective hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells), neocytolysis. The Neocytolysis investigation, can lead to treatments of different types of anemia, especially those related to renal failure or acute infections.

Principal Investigator(s)

Angela Risso, Ph.D., University of Udine, Udine, Italy

Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

Giampaolo Minetti, University of Pavia, Pavai, Italy

Guglielmo Antonutto, M.D., University of Udine, Udine, Italy

Maria Elisabetta Cosulich, Ph.D., University of Pavia, Pavai, Italy

Developer(s)

Italian Space Agency (ASI), Rome, , Italy

Sponsoring Space Agency

European Space Agency (ESA)

Sponsoring Organization

Information Pending

Research Benefits

Information Pending

ISS Expedition Duration:

September 2006 - April 2008

Expeditions Assigned

14,15,16

Previous ISS Missions

Information Pending

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Experiment Description

Research Overview

• Neocytolysis (selective destruction of red blood cells) occurring in astronauts is an acute adaptive response triggered by the exposure to microgravity under normal oxygen pressure.



• Blood samples drawn from astronauts before and after a short duration space flight to ISS will be analyzed by investigators to determine the factors which contribute to neocytolysis and determine a treatment.

Description

For decades, it has been reproducibly demonstrated that astronauts journeying in space for even a few days return to earth with a significant, symptomatic anemia. A previously unsuspected physiologic process that selectively hemolyzes the youngest circulating red blood cells under conditions of red cell excess, termed neocytolysis, is responsible for this change. This process is operative not only in space flight, but it is generalizable to other physiologic adaptive and pathophysiologic maladaptive situations. For example, neocytolysis occurs when polycythemic individuals acclimated to high altitude are transported to sea level and can be prevented by erythropoietin (EPO) injections. Renal failure represents a pathophysiologic situation in which EPO is depressed, and neocytolysis may be related to the anemia of renal failure. The recognition of neocytolysis is leading to a fresh look at the basis underlying a number of hematologic disorders.

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Applications

Space Applications

Information Pending

Earth Applications

Information Pending

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Operations

Operational Requirements

Information Pending

Operational Protocols

Blood samples drawn from astronauts before and after a short duration space flight to ISS will be analyzed by investigators to determine the factors which contribute to neocytolysis and determine a treatment.

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Results/More Information

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Results Publications

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Ground Based Results Publications

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ISS Patents

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Related Publications

Risso A, Tell G, Vascotto C, Costessi A, Arena S, Scaloni A, Cosulich ME.  Activation of human T lymphocytes under conditions similar to those that occur during exposure to microgravity: A proteomics study. Proteomics. 2005; 5(7): 1827-1837.

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Related Websites

The information on this page is provided courtesy of the ESA Erasmus Experiment Archive.

Columbus Mission - European Experiment Programme

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Imagery

Healthy red blood cells (upper left) are smooth and round. Hemolytic red blood cells (lower right). Image courtesy of The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
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