Scientists track immune changes in 9 volunteers stranded on Sub-Antarctic island for a year

This study follows 9 healthy young adults living for one year on the remote Kerguelen Islands to see how extreme isolation and stress affect their immune system. Researchers will collect blood, saliva, stool, urine, and hair samples every three months to measure immune cells, stress hormones, gut bacteria, and dormant virus reactivation. The goal is to understand how the body adapts to long-term confinement, which could help people with chronic illnesses or those in isolated environments like space missions.