The human endeavor to venture beyond the orbit of Earth is challenged by both continuous space radiation and microgravity-induced immune dysfunction. If cancers were to develop in astronauts, it is unclear how these abnormal cells would grow and progress in the microgravity environment. It is unknown if the astronaut's immune response would be able to control or eradicate cancer. A better molecular understanding of how the mechanical force of gravity affects the cell as well as the aggressiveness of cancers and the functionality of host immunity is needed. This review will summarize findings related to microgravity-mediated alterations in the cell cytoskeleton, cell-cell, and cell-extracellular matrix interactions including cadherins, immunoglobulin superfamily of adhesion molecules, selectins, and integrins and related cell signaling. The effects of spaceflight and simulated microgravity on cell viability, cancer cell growth, invasiveness, angiogenesis, metastasis as well as immune cell functions and the subsequent signaling pathways involved will be discussed. Microgravity-induced alterations in function and signaling of the major anti-cancer immune populations will be examined including natural killer cells, dendritic cells, CD4⁺ T cells, and CD8⁺ T cells. Further studies regarding the molecular events impacted by microgravity in both cancer and immune cells will greatly increase the development of therapies to restrict tumor growth and enhance cancer-specific responses for both astronauts and patients on Earth.

人类探索地球轨道之外的努力受到持续空间辐射和微重力引起的免疫功能障碍的挑战。如果癌症在宇航员身上发展，目前尚不清楚这些异常细胞将如何在微重力环境中生长和发展。目前尚不清楚宇航员的免疫反应是否能够控制或根除癌症。需要更好地了解重力机械力如何影响细胞以及癌症的侵袭性和宿主免疫功能的分子学。本综述将总结与微重力介导的细胞骨架、细胞-细胞和细胞-细胞外基质相互作用（包括钙粘蛋白、粘附分子的免疫球蛋白超家族、选择素和整合素）以及相关细胞信号传导的改变相关的发现。将讨论太空飞行和模拟微重力对细胞活力、癌细胞生长、侵袭性、血管生成、转移以及免疫细胞功能的影响以及随后涉及的信号通路。将检查微重力诱导的主要抗癌免疫群体的功能和信号改变，包括自然杀伤细胞、树突细胞、CD4⁺ T 细胞和 CD8 ⁺ T 细胞。关于癌症和免疫细胞中微重力影响的分子事件的进一步研究将极大地促进疗法的发展，以限制肿瘤生长并增强地球上宇航员和患者的癌症特异性反应。