SPACE BIOLOGY

NANOMATERIALS AND SPACE BIOLOGY

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One of the major problems of long space flights is the immune function dysregulation. Our research group previously reported the possibility to take advantage of carbon based materials immune properties under microgravity conditions (Crescio et al. Nanoscale 2014) and is currently exploring new tools able to compensate the immune down-regulation in Space. Moreover, microgravity conditions are an excellent environment to understand inflammation mechanisms; in this context, our group is working to apply this knowledge to medical needs on the hearth. Also, the ImmuneNano-lab is today part of the multidisciplinary European topical team on “Tissue Healing in Space: Techniques for promoting and monitoring tissue repair and regeneration” with the aim to develop non-invasive devices for the monitoring of inflammatory, proliferative and remodeling phase of wound healing and scar formation.