Hypothetical role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 in adaptations to microgravity

• Main Authors: Yang Sook Chun, Alan R. Hargens
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Centro Nacional de Información de Ciencias Médicas. Editorial de Ciencias Médicas (ECIMED) 2019-09-01
• Series: Revista Cubana de Investigaciones Biomédicas
• Subjects: microgravedad; vuelo espacial; factor inducible por hipoxia.
• Online Access: http://www.revibiomedica.sld.cu/index.php/ibi/article/view/341

Maintaining health in microgravity and overcoming environmental hazards such as cosmic radiation are essential for long-term space flight. Recent studies have focused on the involvement of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 in altered gravity using cell-based or in vivo mouse model systems. HIF-1alpha and its target downstream gene expression are differentially expressed in hypergravity and microgravity. Nevertheless, underlying molecular mechanism of HIF-1alpha involvement is still unclear. Herein, we analyzed the 2019 Science paper by Garrett-Bakelman and coauthors in which NASA performed multidimensional analyses of long-term human spaceflight in identical twin astronauts. Correlations were found between the expression of HIF-1alpha related cytokines and prolonged space flight. We hypothesize that HIF-1alpha is a molecular target for the development of therapeutics to prevent the detrimental effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation on astronauts during long-term space flight.