snoRNA sequencing of sEV isolated from plasma of astronauts

This study aimed to determine whether the spaceflight-induced snoRNA changes in plasma extracellular vesicles (EV) and astronauts' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) can be utilized as potential biomarkers. Using unbiased small RNA sequencing, we evaluated the EV snoRNA changes in peripheral blood (PB) plasma of astronauts (n=5/group) who underwent median 12-day long Shuttle missions between 1998-2001. Using stringent cutoff (> log 2-fold change, FDR < 0.05), we detected 21 down-regulated snoRNAs and 9 upregulated in PB-EVs at three days after return (R+3) compared to ten days before launch (L-10). Our findings unveiled that spaceflight induced changes in EV and PBMCs snoRNA expression, thus suggesting snoRNAs may serve as novel biomarkers for monitoring astronauts' health. Overall design: Comparison of snoRNA expression from blood sEVs at 2 time points.