Human T Cell Gene Expression Under Microgravity and 1g Gravity

A 2026 study by NASA tested T cell activation in microgravity aboard the International Space Station. Microarray expression analysis after 1.5 hours of activation compared cells from 4 human donors under microgravity and simulated 1g conditions. The data identified 47 genes significantly down-regulated in microgravity, including key immediate early genes.

Use Cases

• Identify gene expression signatures of immune suppression based on differential expression in microgravity.
• Model the impact of gravity on T cell activation pathways based on inhibited immediate early genes.
• Validate spaceflight experiment controls using the onboard 1g centrifuge comparison methodology.

Strengths

• Includes a simultaneous 1g control experiment conducted onboard the ISS to isolate microgravity effects.
• Samples represent biological triplicates from 4 separate human donors.
• Analysis identified 47 significantly differentially down-regulated genes in microgravity.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is stored in a BIN file format, which may require specialized tools for access.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

T cells from human volunteers were stimulated onboard the ISS, fixed, and returned to Earth for microarray analysis.

Time Range

Experimental data from a specific mission, temporal coverage not specified.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 20:15:28.979700; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Data generated onboard the International Space Station.