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“When the cells came back, they didn’t look normal, but we were still cautiously optimistic,” says Elena Kozlova.
Photo Credit: Tobias Sterner, Bildbyrån
Scientific Frontline: Extended "At a Glance" Summary: Stem Cell Resilience in Microgravity
The Core Concept: Induced pluripotent stem cells cultivated into neurospheres demonstrate significant resilience to extended environmental stress and microgravity conditions aboard the International Space Station.
Key Distinction/Mechanism: When housed in 3D-printed support structures, these neural stem cell clusters exhibit superior survival rates and retain their capacity to differentiate into nerve and glial cells, even after exceeding expected survival limits outside of controlled culture conditions.
Origin/History: In early 2024, cultivated neurospheres were launched to the ISS, but severe return delays subjected the cells to prolonged, uncontrolled environments before they were recovered and analyzed at the Uppsala Biomedical Center.
Major Frameworks/Components:
- Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs): Cells generated from adult tissue that can be reprogrammed to differentiate into various cell types.
- Neurospheres: Laboratory-cultivated clusters of neural stem cells.
- 3D-printed support structures: Physical scaffolds that significantly enhance cellular survival and division during severe environmental stress.
- Microgravity exposure: The primary experimental variable used to evaluate cellular resilience and structural development in space.
Branch of Science: Cell Biology, Regenerative Medicine, Astrobiology, and Bioengineering.
Future Application: The development of on-site cellular therapies and tissue transplants for astronauts during extended space missions, as well as terrestrial treatments for conditions such as back pain and type 1 diabetes.
Why It Matters: The unexpected survival of these stem cells underscores the protective efficacy of 3D-printed biological scaffolds, proving that delicate organic materials can endure severe spaceflight delays, thereby advancing extraterrestrial medicine and Earth-based regenerative therapies.
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| Stem cells viewed through a microscope during a photo shoot prior to the experiment, in December 2023. Photo Credit: Tobias Sterner, Bildbyrån |
Stem cells sent to the International Space Station (ISS) were subjected to considerably greater stresses than the researchers had anticipated. Nevertheless, some of them survived and retained their ability to develop into nerve cells. Stem cells in 3D-printed support structures fared particularly well, according to research by Professor Elena Kozlova.
In early 2024, a type of stem cell known as neurospheres (i.e., clusters of neural stem cells) that had been laboratory-cultivated was sent to the ISS to be exposed to microgravity.
The return trip was delayed several times due to bad weather in the landing zone. As a result, the cells were outside controlled culture conditions for longer than anticipated—beyond the limit of what they were expected to survive.
When they finally arrived at the laboratory at the Uppsala Biomedical Center (BMC), no one knew whether it would be possible to complete the experiment.
“When the cells came back, they looked different, but we were still cautiously optimistic. It looked as though there were only small fragments of neurospheres in some groups, but not all of them. Only the cells that had previously been in space on the sounding rocket had survived. So we changed the medium and waited. Then some of the cells recovered and began to grow, very slowly,” explains Elena Kozlova.
A month later, the experiments could begin. The results have now been analyzed and are presented in an article in npj Microgravity.
The 3D structure protected the cells Despite being subjected to severe stress, some of the cells survived. After recovery, they were still able to develop into nerve cells and glial cells and functioned normally in the researchers’ tests.
A key finding is that cells placed in 3D-printed support structures fared particularly well across all groups. They survived and continued to divide.
“Thanks to the experiment being extended, we were able to see just how significant the 3D-printed structure was for the cells’ survival.”
The research is being conducted in an international network involving researchers from the US, the UK, Italy, Switzerland, and other countries.
“Together, the research groups are using various methods to extract as much knowledge as possible from the valuable material collected during spaceflights,” says Elena Kozlova.
Significance for future spaceflights The results may have implications for future crewed spaceflights, enabling injuries and illnesses to be treated on-site. One possibility the researchers are investigating is the future ability to grow cells and tissues for treatment and transplants.
The researchers are using iPSC technology, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2012.
“Using this method, we can take cells from the patient’s skin and convert them into iPSCs, i.e., induced pluripotent stem cells. From these cells, we can, in practice, generate any type of cell,” says Elena Kozlova.
The research may also prove useful on Earth. Among other things, the group is investigating how microgravity affects cells and tissues linked to back pain and type 1 diabetes. In upcoming experiments, the researchers will attempt to recreate the effects of microgravity in the laboratory.
Published in journal: npj Microgravity
Authors: Robert Fredriksson, Yilin Han, Xiangyi Du, Craig A. Sexton, Povilas Barasa, Federica Zanotti, Nicola B. Hamilton, Keisuke Ito, Barbara Zavan, and Elena N. Kozlova
Source/Credit: Uppsala University | Annica Hulth
Edited by: Scientific Frontline
Reference Number: cbio100626_01
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