In recent years, China's manned space program has advanced rapidly, with deep space exploration missions such as manned lunar landing steadily progressing, leading to a significant extension of astronauts' duration in outer space. In this context, the impact of the space magnetic field environment on astronaut health has become increasingly conspicuous. Characterized by its complexity, the spatial magnetic field indirectly regulates the circadian rhythm system by interfering with mitochondrial functions, such as electron transport chain activity, ATP synthesis efficiency, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) balance. This disruption can lead to circadian misalignment, sleep disorders, metabolic dysregulation, and other issues, severely compromising astronauts' physical and mental well-being, as well as mission performance. Currently, researchers have carried out extensive investigations into the influence of the space magnetic environment on circadian rhythms. Nevertheless, due to disparities in magnetic field parameters, exposure durations, and the model organisms employed in experiments, the results have been inconsistent. This review systematically elaborates on ground-based simulation technologies for spatial magnetic field environments and their applications, summarizes the effects of magnetic fields with varying intensities and types on core circadian rhythm biomarkers in model organisms and humans, and explores the underlying molecular and physiological mechanisms of magnetic field-induced circadian rhythm perturbation. This work aims to deepen the understanding of the mechanisms of the space magnetic environment on biological rhythms, and establish a scientific basis for formulating adaptive protective strategies centered on circadian regulation for astronauts, thereby ensuring the successful implementation of long-term deep-space missions.
Circadian Rhythm/physiology* ; Humans ; Magnetic Fields/adverse effects* ; Space Flight ; Animals ; Extraterrestrial Environment

With the continuous advancement of deep space exploration missions, maintaining astronaut skin health has become a critical medical issue affecting the safety and effectiveness of long-duration missions. Deep space environmental stressors, including microgravity, ionizing radiation, lunar dust exposure, and microbiome dysbiosis, can synergistically disrupt the skin barrier structure, leading to immune homeostasis imbalance and impaired wound healing. In recent years, research on skin protection in deep space has gradually evolved into a systematic "multi-dimensional integrated protective" framework. From the engineering protection perspective, optimization of multi-layer composite spacesuit structures, the use of hydrogen-rich and boron-containing shielding materials, as well as cabin temperature-humidity regulation and debris-resistant technologies, have greatly enhanced environmental defense capacity. From the biomedical protection perspective, functional hydrogels, antimicrobial dressings, and active compounds derived from traditional Chinese medicine have demonstrated remarkable potential in repairing the skin barrier, modulating immunity, and providing antioxidant defense. Meanwhile, the development of skin microecological interventions and wearable physiological monitoring systems has fostered a trend toward personalized health management. Future research should focus on elucidating the interactive mechanisms among the space environment, skin, and immune barrier, while exploring intelligent monitoring and nanotechnology-based protection strategies. Establishing a predictive and preventive skin health safeguarding system will provide comprehensive medical support for future deep space missions.
Humans ; Astronauts ; Skin/radiation effects* ; Space Flight ; Weightlessness/adverse effects* ; Wound Healing ; Extraterrestrial Environment

The unique characteristics of the deep space environment, microgravity, cosmic radiation, and extreme temperature fluctuations, are emerging as major driving forces for pharmaceutical innovation. These factors provide new avenues for optimizing drug formulations, improving crystal structure quality, and accelerating the discovery of therapeutic targets. Advances in deep space research not only help overcome critical bottlenecks in terrestrial drug development but also promote progress in structure-based drug design and deepen understanding of cellular stress-response mechanisms. Current progress in space-based pharmaceutical research primarily includes the study of disease mechanisms under microgravity, protein crystallization in microgravity, and drug development utilizing deep space radiation and resources. However, the operational complexity, high costs, and limited data reproducibility of space experiments remain key challenges hindering widespread application. Looking ahead, with the integration of automation, artificial intelligence analysis, and on-orbit manufacturing, deep space drug development is expected to achieve greater scalability and precision, opening a new frontier in biopharmaceutical science.
Drug Design ; Drug Development/methods* ; Humans ; Weightlessness ; Space Flight ; Artificial Intelligence ; Extraterrestrial Environment

OBJECTIVETo investigate the space environment on the role of licorice mutagenesis analysis of proteins.

METHODLicorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) seeds were carried by a recoverable satellite for 18 days (the average radiation dose in the flight recovery module was 0.102 m x d(-1), the orbit semidiameter 350 km, gravity 10(-6)). After return, The satellite-flown seeds and the unflown seeds (ground control) were planted in the fields of experimental farm. The leaves of each group were used for studying the effects of space flight on CAT, SOD activity, the protein content and electrophoresis.

RESULTAfter the space flight, CAT, SOD activity of licorice increased in varying degrees, the difference was significant (P<0.05), two types of enzyme activity of sample from Ordos were higher than that from Hangjinqi. The protein content of licorice increased in a certain extent, the difference was significant (P<0.05), while protein electrophoresis also showed differences, weak new bands appeared.

CONCLUSIONThese results indicated that spaceflight has effect on protein of licorice, these changes may be used as a tool for accelerating the progress in G. uralensis breeding.

Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase ; analysis ; metabolism ; Electrophoresis ; Extraterrestrial Environment ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; chemistry ; enzymology ; Plant Proteins ; analysis ; metabolism ; Spacecraft ; Superoxide Dismutase ; analysis ; metabolism

OBJECTIVEIn order to find the new varieties with different horticultural characters, and investigate the mutation effects of seeds of Dioscorea zingerbrensis.

METHODThe seeds were carried by a satellite into space and recovered. The space mutation effect on the germination, seedling growth, chromosomes and rhizome diosgenin content of SP, populations of D. zingerbrensis were investigated.

RESULTStimulated by space environment, the seed possessed the fast germinating characteristics. Germination rate showed no change. It was also found that a few plants were aneuploid or tetraploid. Fresh rhizome weight and rhizome diosgenin content in the second year plant were remarkably higher than those of the control. However, the increasing of third year plant was slow down, and rhizome diosgenin content in the third year plant declined simultaneously.

CONCLUSIONThe space environment showed stimulating effects on seed germination, fresh rhizome weight and rhizome diosgenin content.

Dioscorea ; chemistry ; genetics ; physiology ; Extraterrestrial Environment ; Germination ; Mutation ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Seedlings ; chemistry ; genetics ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo substantiate the effects of spaceflight on the glycyrrhizic acid-related gene mutation in Glycyrrhiza uralensis.

METHODLicorice (G. uralensis) seeds were carried by a recoverable satellite for 18 days (the average radiation dose in the flight recovery module was 0. 102 m x d(-1), the orbit semidiameter 350 km, gravity 10(-6)). After returned to the earth, the satellite-flown seeds and the un-flown seeds (ground control) were planted in the fields of experimental farm. The leaves of each group were used for studying the effects of space flight on the glycyrrhizic acid-related gene mutation including ITS sequence and beta-amyrine synthase gene.

RESULTThe ITS sequence of glycyrrhizic acid related gene showed no changes after spaceflight. While beta-amyrine synthase gene had some different points after spaceflight and the different points could get the expression.

CONCLUSIONThe results indicated that spaceflight induce genetic variation in G. uralensis and spaceflight could also have effects on glycyrrhizic acid-related gene mutation in G. uralensis. It may need to further research how the spaceflight induced the mutation of the glycyrrhizic acid related gene. The results suggested that recoverable satellite-flown condition could bring inheritable mutagenic effects on G. uralensis seeds and maybe used as a tool for accelerating the progress in G. uralensis breeding.

Extraterrestrial Environment ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; metabolism ; Mutation ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Space Flight

To further study the characteristics of changes on the molecular level of rice mutants induced in space environment, we analyzed proteins in leaves and seeds of four rice mutants (two high-tillering and two low-tillering) in the 8(th) and 9(th) generations after a 15-day spaceflight, and compared with their ground controls by two-dimentional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and reverse phase liquid chromatography (RPLC). In addition, the albumin, globulin, prolamine, glutelin, and amylose of the mutant seeds were analyzed by RPLC and ultra-violet spectrometry. The results showed that the low-abundance proteins of leaves in the peak tillering stage are more likely to be induced compared with their corresponding controls. The albumin, globulin, and prolamine of the mutant seeds revealed changes when compared with their controls, and the characteristics of changes in different mutants were stably inherited in the 8(th) and 9(th) generations, suggesting that they can be used as bio markers to identity the mutants induced by spaceflight. Moreover, two proteins (SSP9111 and SSP6302) were found to be expressed with high intensity (two-fold change) in different mutants, which were both correlated with photosystem according to mass spectrometry and database searching.
Albumins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Amylose ; genetics ; metabolism ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Extraterrestrial Environment ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Genetic Variation ; Genomic Instability ; Globulins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mass Spectrometry ; Mutation ; Oryza ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plant Leaves ; genetics ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Prolamins ; Seeds ; genetics ; Space Flight

Animals ; Exobiology ; methods ; Extraterrestrial Environment ; Genomics ; Humans ; Space Flight