During long term space flights (> 6 months), flight conditions induce significant physiological changes, including acute and chronic cardiovascular deconditioning in astronauts. This leads to an early vascular ageing (EVA) of 20 to 30 years, despite physical activity and daily dietary management. This represents a high potential risk of developing cardiovascular diseases during missions and later. This accelerated ageing may compromise long-term space missions especially since new individual profiles are expected to fly:

• Longer trips to the Moon and Mars,

• Deployment of new scientific research platforms in low earth orbit

• The emergence of commercial tourist flights.

We think that several candidate cardiovascular drugs might prevent early vascular aging, but knowledge on space pharmacology is very limited. The fate of the drug in humans in space has not been explored so far. To date, very few manned pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) experiments have been performed, due to logistical and technical constraints, none in the cardiovascular domain. The challenge is to overcome these obstacles by proposing a new approach to pharmacological studies with the aim of optimizing, adapting and individualizing drug treatments. The importance of space missions and their high cost require maximum health security to ensure fully operational astronauts during missions, and healthy past astronauts after missions.

Two research areas within COSMOS:

PASKAL- Pharmacology Space Kit – Analysis

The objective is to demonstrate the feasibility of microsampling of capillary blood and urine under mars analog mission, with a new biological sampling method based on dried matrices: dried blood spot (DBS) and dried urine spot (DBS)

We studied the elimination of caffeine from the body before, during and after the mission. The idea is to measure caffeine at regular intervals from very small volumes of blood and urine (one drop, i.e. 50 microliters) on blotting paper after ingesting a standardized dose of caffeine from alimentary coffee, tea or chocolate. We have chose caffeine as a proof of concept, as it is a natural substance that is universally consumed. DBS will be done at fingertip using a single use lancet commercially developed for diabetic’s glucose monitoring. DUS will be done using a small pipette to deposit urine on the card. Once the drop of blood and urine obtained, it will be transferred on a dedicated paper card and allowed to dry. After the experiment, paper card will be transferred to the Pharmacology Laboratory at George Pompidou European hospital in Paris for extraction and the dosage of caffeine (and paraxanthine) by liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometer.

Feasibility, quality and acceptability of repeated auto-sampling will be evaluated.

MAEVA - Mars Early Vascular Ageing monitoring

The objective of the MAEVA study is to evaluate the impact of the extreme environment and confinement during the MRDS mission on the markers of early vascular aging thanks to new non-invasive and easily transportable vascular explorations techniques allowing to study the vessels in a very precise way and to establish the health status of arteries

Continuous monitoring of the crew's cardiovascular (blood pressure, pulse wave velocity) and metabolic composition will be carried out with innovative non-invasive devices: the pOpmeter®, the Withings® connected scale and the Withings® connected blood pressure monitor.

Learn more about our partners for these experiments:

Withings — Smart Blood Pressure Monitors

Withings — Smart Scale for Heart Health

Axelife | Popmetre — Measuring Arterial Stiffness