Piloted Space Flight and Studies in Proteomics

The review summarizes the data acquired at the laboratory of proteomics of Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences over the past decade in space and ground model experiments. The use of mass spectrometry-based methods of proteomics for panoramic, semi-quantitative, and quantitative analysis of human body fluids shed light on the molecular mechanisms, as well as discover the networks of molecular interactions involved in the adaptive response of healthy human organism to the extreme conditions in orbital missions, wintering in the Antarctic, and simulation studies on Earth, such as bed rest (BR), dry immersion (DI), isolation chamber studies, exposure in a hypomagnetic stand, and rotation on a short-arm centrifuge. Proteomic investigations revealed the common elements of pathogenesis in the process of adaptation to extreme conditions. The type of blood proteome modification in cosmonauts depended on mission multiplicity. The frequency of protein oxidative modifications induced by spaceflight factors was increased. The actual type of cardiovascular adaptation depended on the dominance of either sympathetic or parasympathetic components of the autonomic nervous system. The body response was characterized by changes in blood proteome, loss of orthostatic stability after BR, appearance of undesirable vascular complications following DI, and endothelial dysfunction. In the future, omics-technologies will be appropriate for risk stratification and development of countermeasures to ensure safety in very long exploration missions to terrestrial planets in the Solar system.