Stress Challenges and Immunity in Space : From Mechanisms to Monitoring and Preventive Strategies

This book analyzes the interaction of living conditions in space, the immune system and astronauts’ health. It explains how such analysis may help in preventing, diagnosing and counteracting immune-related alterations in health on earth as well as in space.

This book explains how the influence of stress of either psychological or physical nature can activate and/or paralyse humans’ innate or adaptive immunity. However, adequate immunity is crucial to maintain health on Earth and in space. During space flight, human physiology and health is specifically challenged by complex environmental stressors which might be most pronounced during lunar or interplanetary missions. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the book identifies the impact of living conditions in space (“stressors”: confinement, gravitation, oxygen tension, radiation) on the adaptation of the immune system, knowledge that may help to prevent, diagnose and to countermeasure immune-related health alteration. Written by experts from academia, space agencies and industry, it is a valuable resource for professionals, researchers and students in the field of medicine, biology and technology.

Chapters "The Impact of Everyday Stressors on the Immune System and Health" and "Stress and Radiation-Immune-Responsiveness" are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.