Seventy-one NASA astronauts will study neurological “organoids”, plant growth and changes in body fluids aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps and Tracy C. Dyson are set to reach the space station this month and in March.
Human Brain Organoid Models for Neurodegenerative Disease & Drug Discovery (HBOND) studies the mechanisms behind neuroinflammation, a common feature of neurodegenerative disorders.
Researchers are creating “organoids” using iPSCs (induced pluripotent stem cells) from patients who have Parkinson’s disease and primary progressive multiple sclerosis.
The results could help improve diagnostics, provide insight into the effects of aging, accelerate drug discovery and identify therapeutic targets for patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases.
The “organoid” models could also provide a way to predict how prolonged spaceflight affects the brain and support the development of countermeasures, according to NASA.
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Plants can serve as a food source and provide other life support services on long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars.
The study on “Plant Responses to Microgravity and High Ultraviolet Stresses in Space” (Plant UV-B) examines how stress from microgravity, UV radiation, and combinations of the two affect plants at the molecular, cellular, and whole-organism levels. levels.
“The results could improve understanding of plant growth in space and support improvements in plant cultivation technologies for future missions,” the space agency said.
Weightlessness causes fluids in the body to move towards the head, which can cause changes in the structure of the eye and vision known as ‘Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome’ (SANS) along with other health problems.
A new study will investigate whether thigh pressure cuffs could provide a simple way to counter this shift in body fluids and help protect astronauts from SANS and other problems on future missions to the Moon and Mars.
Thigh cuffs could also help treat or prevent problems in patients on Earth who have conditions that cause fluid to build up in the head, such as long-term bed rest and illness.
