Heart Cells in Space Help Advance Treatments for Cardiovascular Disease

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Heart Cells in Space Help Advance Treatments for Cardiovascular Disease

NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins examines iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes grown within a fully enclosed cell culture plate.

Heart Cells in Space Help Advance Treatments for Cardiovascular Disease
by Staff Writers
Kennedy Space Center FL (SPX) Oct 20, 2023

Heart disease is the leading cause of death globally, and once cardiovascular tissue is damaged, there's no means of restoring its function. But it's possible damaged tissue could be regenerated via stem cell therapies. To that end, a team of scientists took their research to new heights by leveraging the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory to study microgravity's effects on heart cells.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which can transform into many different cell types including heart cells, are at the forefront of regenerative medicine research. Previous experiments have shown that spaceflight induces physiological changes in cardiac function, but this pioneering experiment was the first to study how microgravity affects the human heart and its functionality at the cellular level.

This project is featured in the latest issue of Upward, the official magazine of the ISS National Lab. Upward is dedicated to communicating the results of ISS National Lab-sponsored experiments that demonstrate the value of space-based research and technology development. Read the article "Stem Cells in Space: What Microgravity Can Teach Us About the Human Heart" to discover how scientists are leveraging the orbiting laboratory for research that could lead to new and improved treatments for heart disease on Earth.

Related Links
ISS National Lab
Space Medicine Technology and Systems

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