Immune System Responses Studied in Space by Biomedical Intern

Immune System Responses Studied in Space by Biomedical Intern
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 01, 2024

Malcolm O'Malley, a seventeen-year-old college hopeful, anxiously awaited the results of his bloodwork alongside his mother. This was no ordinary check-up but one to understand his sudden, severe symptoms. When the doctor revealed an alarmingly high level of antibodies, O'Malley learned he was now deathly allergic to shellfish-despite having enjoyed shrimp less than a year prior. The news prompted questions about how his immune system functioned and why the only treatment involved adrenaline rather than directly addressing the immune system.

Years later, these questions fueled O'Malley's career path as he joined NASA's Space Biosciences Research Branch during an internship at Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley. O'Malley, now a Ph.D. student of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia (UVA), described the inadequacy of existing treatments: "Anaphylaxis is super deadly, and the only treatment for it is epinephrine; and I remember thinking, 'how is this the best we have?' because epinephrine does not actually treat the immune system at all - it's just adrenaline," O'Malley said. "And there's a thousand side effects, like heart attacks and stroke - I remember thinking 'these are worse than the allergy!'"

Inspired by a desire to better understand immune mechanisms and the factors triggering immune reactions, O'Malley shifted from computer science to biomedical engineering during his undergraduate studies. Influenced by his personal experience with allergies and a long-standing connection to his aunt at the UVA Heart and Vascular Center, O'Malley explored the relationship between the immune system and heart health. As a senior, he joined the Cardiac Systems Biology Lab and focused his capstone project on neutrophils-immune cells comprising 50 to 70% of the immune system-studying their role in cardiac inflammation.

"The immune system is involved in everything," O'Malley noted. "Anytime there's an injury - a paper cut, a heart attack, you're sick - the immune system is going to be the first to respond; and neutrophils are the first responders."

O'Malley's work positioned him to support various interdisciplinary NASA research projects during his 10-week internship in the summer of 2024. Using machine learning techniques, O'Malley analyzed large datasets collected from experiments and specimens over the years. His analysis focused on identifying factors involved in inflammation affecting the heart, brain, and blood, as well as changes observed in metabolism, bone density, and the immune system in response to decreased gravity, social isolation, and radiation-all critical factors for human space exploration.

"It's exciting that we just never know what's going to happen, how the immune system is going to react until it's already been activated or challenged in some way," O'Malley said. "I'm particularly interested in the adaptive immune system because it's always evolving to meet new challenges; whether it's a pandemic-level virus, bacteria or something on a mission to Mars, our bodies are going to have some kind of adaptive immune response."

During his time at NASA, O'Malley applied statistical analysis to make sense of life sciences data and pinpoint proteins and attributes associated with various outcomes. For instance, his findings helped researchers identify proteins that contribute to brain inflammation and support spatial memory and motor control during radiation exposure, offering insights into mitigating these impacts for future space missions.

Reflecting on his contributions, O'Malley said, "I had this moment where I realized that since my internship supports NASA's Human Research Program that means the work I'm doing directly applies to Artemis, which is sending the first woman and person of color to the Moon." As someone of mixed racial heritage, he added, "It's inspiring to think there will be people like me on the Moon - and that I'm playing a role in making this happen."

Outside of his research, O'Malley taught himself to ride a bike, started surfing, and enjoyed sports like volleyball, water polo, and tennis. Hailing from Palmyra, Virginia, he also made time to inspire future scientists by giving guest lectures at local high schools.

Looking to the future, O'Malley envisions leveraging the unique immune properties of different species to achieve breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, cancer therapy, and antimicrobial treatments. "I believe that by harnessing the unique immune properties of other species, we can achieve groundbreaking advancements in limb regeneration, revolutionize cancer therapy, and develop potent antimicrobials that are considered science fiction today," he said.