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| Vol. 22, No. 7 |
| April 15, 2000 |
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Studies Seek Answers for Healthy Long-Duration Space Flight by LORI WILLIAMS Baylor College of Medicine
A strong immune system is key to interplanetary space travel, says Dr. William T. Shearer, a professor of pediatric immunology at Baylor College of Medicine. A lack of sleep leads to a weakened immune system which increases the chance of infections or the reactivation of latent viruses. "It's likely that the immune system is going to be compromised in long space voyages, so we need to work on countermeasures," says Dr. Shearer, who also serves as leader of the Immunology, Infection and Hematology Team for the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI). The consortium consists of 12 research institutions seeking solutions to health concerns associated with long-duration space flight. Baylor is the lead institution. A NSBRI team led by Dr. Shearer recently reported on a study on sleep deprivation and its effect on the immune system. A common problem with astronauts on space missions is inadequate sleep.
©2006 Texas Medical Center E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/04_15_00/page_01.html |
