FUNGAL PATHOGENESIS, TUMORIGENESIS, AND EFFECTS OF HOSE IMMUNITY IN SPACE (FIT)
Research Area: Animal Biology – Invertebrates
Expedition(s): 13
Principal Investigator(s): ● Sharmila Bhattacharya, PhD, NASA’s Ames Research Center,
Moffett Field, California
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The Fungal Pathogenesis, Tumorigenesis, and Effects of Host Immunity in Space (FIT)
experiment primarily studies the effects of spaceflight on the immune system responses of the
fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Since there is evidence that suggests the immune system of
organisms is affected by spaceflight, this proposal seeks to assess the extent and the detailed
molecular biological changes that are associated with spaceflight. In addition, this work also
investigates the progression of cancerous and benign tumors in sensitized mutant lines (cells
that turn into tumors) that show an increase in tumor formation, and is coupled with the effect
of radiation exposure.
EARTH BENEFITS
Microbial effects of pathogens on wild type and immune-
compromised hosts are of great relevance to human immune
diseases.
SPACE BENEFITS
It is a known fact that space travel affects the genetic activity
of crew members, but researchers cannot yet predict which
genes are affected or precisely determine how gravity signals a
gene to change. FIT is the first step in answering these
questions.RESULTS
FIT studied the effects of spaceflight on the immune system
responses of the common fruit fly. Even short-term spaceflight
affects the fundamental process of cellular and humoral
(secretion of antimicrobial peptides into the blood and
accessory processes) immunity and phagocytosis (the cell
engulfing microorganisms) functions and the maturation of
immune cells in Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) innate immune system (the first line of
defense against invading microorganisms). Many of these changes mirror alterations seen in
human innate immune systems postflight. The large number of fruit flies returned from FIT
allowed a significant number of assays to be conducted postflight. Physiological changes
observed in the innate immune system could be explained by gene expression changes,
allowing a fundamental understanding of the underlying molecular pathways affected by
spaceflight (Marcu 2011).
Dr Sharmila Bhattacharya,
checks the health of the fly
culture in readiness for the
shuttle flight experiment. NASA
Ames Research Center image.