New Delhi, March 29
A new study of cardiac cells at the International Space Station (ISS) is set to pave the way for repair of the heart damage on Earth.
Researchers from Emory University looked at cancer cells that proliferate -- grow and divide to produce more cells -- much more quickly in microgravity. Spaceflight also triggers cancer cell survival mechanisms, helping the cells better cope with the stressful environment.
In the paper, published in the journal Biomaterials, the researchers hypothesised that heart cells might exhibit similar behaviour.
This would address two current roadblocks in developing cell-based therapies for heart disease, said Chunhui Xu, a professor in the department of paediatrics.
After successfully testing the theory in a ground-based study using simulated microgravity, Xu and her team conducted two spaceflight investigations.
The first examined how stem cells differentiate into heart muscle cells, while the second looked at the maturation of heart muscle cells into tissue-like structures.
The insight gained from the team’s space-based research could significantly advance methods to produce cardiac cells for regenerative therapies, helping to transform the landscape of heart disease treatment.
“The space environment provides an amazing opportunity for us to study cells in new ways,” Xu said