National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Researcher Publishes New Data on Space Stations (Effect of Simulated Cosmic Radiation on Cytomegalovirus Reactivation and Lytic Replication).

A recent study conducted by a researcher at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has found that exposure to galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) in space stations can reactivate latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections. The study involved irradiating CMV-infected cells with various types of radiation, and it was found that the CMV copy number increased significantly in the irradiated cells compared to the control group. Transcriptome analysis also revealed the upregulation of a specific gene involved in the switch from latent to lytic replication. These findings suggest that GCR may play a role in the reactivation of CMV infections in astronauts. [Extracted from the article]