Abstract: Unloading during spaceflight is known to adversely affect mammalian physiology. Mechanical stimulation is required for repair and regeneration by stem cell lineages to maintain tissue health and mass. CDKN1a/p21 functions as a potent cell cycle arrest molecule and we previously found that CDKN1a/p21 was overexpressed in mouse bone during 15-days of spaceflight on STS-131 and localized to osteoprecursor cells in the femur. Therefore, we hypothesized that altered expression of CDKN1a/p21 leads …