Significant progress has been made on the blood samples taken by Turkey's first astronaut Alper Gezeravcı in microgravity, in space, and delivered to Üsküdar University's TRGENMER laboratory.
Assist. Prof. Dr. Cihan Taştan, Project Manager of the MESSAGE experiment, stated that examinations of the samples brought from space revealed some exciting findings, adding, “Changes observed in the expression levels of certain genes, particularly under microgravity conditions, can create significant differences in the behavior of immune system cells.”
Assist. Prof. Dr. Cihan Taştan, Director of Üsküdar University's Transgenic Cell Technologies and Epigenetic Application and Research Center (TRGENMER) and Project Manager of the MESSAGE (Microgravity Associated Genetics) experiment, announced that significant progress has been made on the samples brought by Turkey's first astronaut Alper Gezeravcı from the International Space Station (ISS).
Significant progress made on samples
Providing information about the latest status of the MESSAGE experiment, Assist. Prof. Dr. Cihan Taştan said, “Significant progress has been made on the samples brought by Alper Gezeravcı from the International Space Station (ISS). Transcriptomic analyses performed on these samples, collected under microgravity conditions, have begun to reveal the effects of microgravity on human gene expression. Research continues to identify specific genes that are upregulated or downregulated and to understand whether this leads to significant changes in the immune system. These findings are of great importance for understanding the long-term effects of microgravity on biological systems.”
Atasever conducted the second round of the MESSAGE experiment…
Assist. Prof. Dr. Cihan Taştan also provided information about the work of Tuva Cihangir Atasever, Turkey's second astronaut to go to space, related to the MESSAGE experiment during his space mission, stating, “Tuva Cihangir Atasever conducted the second round of the MESSAGE experiment during his space mission. This task is a continuation of the experiment initiated by Alper Gezeravcı and aimed to further deepen previous findings. Atasever collected blood samples before and after the flight, and we will continue to examine the effects of microgravity conditions on gene expression through the transcriptomic analyses we are performing on these samples. Furthermore, we will investigate the effects of these changes on cancer cells, in addition to changes in the immune system.”
Examinations of samples revealed some exciting findings
Providing information about the MESSAGE experiment, Assist. Prof. Dr. Cihan Taştan continued:
“Examinations performed on samples brought from space revealed some exciting findings. Particularly, changes observed in the expression levels of certain genes under microgravity conditions can create significant differences in the behavior of immune system cells. These findings can help us better understand the effects of space conditions on human health and develop new strategies to protect the health of astronauts during long-duration space missions in the future. Such findings could herald significant innovations in both space biology and medicine.”
Preliminary results to be presented in Milan in October
Assist. Prof. Dr. Cihan Taştan said, “The preliminary results obtained within the scope of the MESSAGE scientific mission have been accepted as an oral presentation at the 75th International Astronautical Congress, which will be held in Milan, Italy, in October.”
Experiment results offer valuable information for health applications
Highlighting that long durations spent in space are associated with various stressors such as microgravity, high radiation, and other environmental factors, Assist. Prof. Dr. Cihan Taştan said, “I believe the MESSAGE experiment stands out as a study promising to open new horizons in space biology and medical research. I have no doubt that the results of this experiment will continue to provide valuable information for future space missions and health applications on Earth.”
About the MESSAGE (Microgravity Associated Genetics) experiment
The MESSAGE (Microgravity Associated Genetics) experiment was developed under the leadership of Assist. Prof. Dr. Cihan Taştan by Üsküdar TRGENMER Researchers; Büşra Tekirdağlı, Özge Demir, Ebru Çam, Fatmanur Erkek, Berranur Sert, and Gamze Gülden.
The MESSAGE (Microgravity Associated Genetics) experiment, conducted by Assist. Prof. Dr. Cihan Taştan, aims to analyze the genetic profiles of Turkish astronauts and investigate anti-cancer, proliferation, and immunogenic effects in an acoustic levitation device that provides a microgravity environment. This experiment also seeks to identify genes affected by the microgravity environment whose functions have not yet been discovered. Furthermore, using CRISPR gene engineering methods, it is being investigated which immune cells will be directly affected by gravity during space missions.