Orbiting towards myopathy: new paradigms of muscle atrophy in spaceflight

Abstract Protracted exposure to microgravity during spaceflight imposes stress on the human body which disrupts physiological homeostasis. Skeletal muscles are among the most severely affected, and they are characterized by rapid muscle atrophy. Although basal autophagy maintains muscle integrity under normal physiological conditions, its dysregulation under microgravity may contribute to muscle loss. Our transcriptomics analysis suggests the possible involvement of alternative autophagy pathways as part of the adaptive response to microgravity.