Academic Editor: Josef Jampílek
Background: We have previously shown that the anti-tumor activity of
human lymphocytes is diminished in vitro after 12-hours pre-exposure to
simulated microgravity (SMG). Here we used an immunocompromised mouse model to
determine if this loss of function would extend in vivo, and to also
test the efficacy of IL-2 and zoledronic acid (ZOL) therapy as a potential
countermeasure against SMG-induced immune dysfunction. We adoptively transferred
human lymphocytes that were exposed to either SMG or 1G-control into NSG-Tg
(Hu-IL15) mice 1-week after they were injected with a luciferase-tagged human
chronic myeloid leukemia (K562) cell line. Tumor growth was monitored 2x weekly
with bioluminescence imaging (BLI) for up to 6-weeks. Results: Mice that
received lymphocytes exposed to SMG showed greater tumor burden compared to those
receiving lymphocytes exposed to 1G (week 6 BLI: 1.8e