Consequences of Longterm Confinement on Immunity in the Sub-Antarctic Islands : Follow-up of Volunteers on the Kerguelen Islands

Living for long periods in extreme environments-like Antarctic research stations or space missions-can have a significant impact on human health, especially on the immune system. Scientists have observed that people in such isolated conditions often experience more infections and a reactivation of viruses that usually stay dormant in the body, such as Herpes viruses. These changes affect both parts of the immune system: the rapid-response "innate" system and the slower, more specific "adaptive" system.

These immune disruptions may be caused by multiple stressors: ongoing psychological stress, disturbed sleep and light cycles (circadian rhythm disruption), and the challenges of living in confined, isolated, and extreme environments. While space missions and Antarctic overwintering programs have provided some insight into these issues, scientists still lack a detailed understanding of how the immune system adapts-or fails to adapt-over time in such conditions.

To help fill this gap, the CHOICE Kerguelen 2 study will follow a group of healthy young adults who will spend one year (from November 2025 to November 2026) in Port-aux-Français, a remote French research station on the Kerguelen Islands in the sub-Antarctic. These volunteers are participating in a civic service program and will be living in a highly isolated environment for the duration of their mission. The CHOICE Kerguelen study is conducted in collaboration with the French Polar Institute (IPEV).

The goal of the study is to collect and store a broad range of biological samples-including blood, saliva, stool, urine, and hair-from these volunteers at four time points during the time of their confinement on the Kerguelent Islands: tevery three months during their stay. These samples will be than analyzed to characterize the immune profiles and intestinal microbiota of the subjects assess eventual viral reactivations and stress biological markers. These analyses will allow to better understand how the immune system reacts to prolonged isolation, and to identify immune profiles that may develop under prolonged stress and limited social contact.

The long-term aim of this project is not only to improve our understanding of human immunity in extreme environments, but also to inform medical research for people living with chronic illness. By studying healthy individuals placed in physically and mentally challenging environments, scientists can better understand how stress and isolation may weaken immune defenses. The findings may one day help design new approaches to support immune health in vulnerable populations.