Samples of human tissue went to the International Space Station for scientists to study aging in space and find answers for those on land.
Human tissue samples from from the University of Oxford are in orbit at (ISS), in a pioneering experiment that aims to understand why the aging process accelerates in microgravity.
The goal is to explore how the absence of gravity can help scientists study cellular aging in real time, comparing tissues grown in space with identical cells kept on Earth.
“We work on the border between space and biology,” he said main researcher on the project, in an interview with Reuters.
The samples, made up of organoids – miniature human organs grown in the laboratory – are housed in an autonomous cube just a few centimeters long. This independent laboratory connects directly from the ISS to the laboratory on Earth, allowing real-time data to be sent and collected to Oxford, without the need for astronaut intervention.
“We can study how microgravity affects aging and its impacts on the body, without the involvement of astronauts,” said Alsaleh.
Decades of space exploration have already demonstrated that microgravity can and weaken the immune system.
The Oxford team hopes the findings will not only help astronauts maintain health on extended missions, but also contribute to combating aging-related problems on Earth, such as osteoporosis and immunosenescence (decline of the immune system).
“While this work has a direct impact on space missions, our real focus is on improving the health of people on Earth,” highlighted Alsaleh.
The researcher therefore highlights the urgency of finding solutions to the effects of aging, especially with the growing ambition of and beyond.
