Here's Why Stem Cells Grown In Space Have Doctors And Medical Researchers So Excited

Since 2000, the International Space Station has brought together 280 astronauts from around the world in numerous flight operations and celestial research. However, these specialized scientists do more than just cool science experiments in space, such as 3D printing and space microbe testing. Using the ISS National Laboratory, which has a permanent microgravity environment, they conduct all kinds of experiments on the International Space Station, including stem cell research that has had promising results for disease prevention and treatment.

In a 2024 research analysis published in npj Microgravity, Mayo Clinic's Abba Zubair, M.D., Ph.D. and research technologist Fay Abdul Ghani found that the microgravity environment in the ISS National Laboratory can reveal mechanisms in stem cells that can't be detected under normal gravity. Dr. Zubair has initiated three stem cell experiments to the ISS from his lab and found that the stem cells have greater regenerative capacities in the space lab than on Earth.

Specifically, the ISS team looked at how adult stem cells — another name for somatic stem cells — behave. Compared to embryonic stem cells (and the advantages associated with their research), they're more limited in how they replicate and transform, and growing them in an Earth-based lab is time consuming, expensive, and challenging. The ISS lab provides a more natural environment that's similar to the human body, solving at least some of those obstacles. Plus, the positive results so far have given doctors and medical researchers confidence that space-grown stem cells can help treat all kinds of age-related conditions, such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and stroke.

Stem cells are found in most tissues throughout the body, and each type does different things. With the ability to separate into numerous cell types, mesenchymal stem cells have multipotent properties, making them attractive for clinical applications. During the Mayo Clinic-sanctioned research on the ISS, these MSCs were better at reducing inflammation and managing immune system responses than those grown on Earth. When it comes to maintaining and repairing heart muscles and blood vessels, cardiovascular progenitor cells are of particular interest to researchers, and in the future, space-grown CPCs have the potential to repair tissue damage from heart attacks.

Then, there are hematopoietic stem cells — also referred to as blood stem cells — that can transform into white and red blood cells, as well as platelets. Because of that, they can carry oxygen, fight infections, and stop bleeding. The HSCs grown on the ISS have shown promise in turning into white and red blood cells that may one day manage blood cancers. Finally, the research included neural stem cells that are native to the nervous system and are crucial for the development, preservation, and repair of brain tissue. They can develop into glial cells and neurons, and those grown in space may be viable in replacement therapies for central nervous system-related diseases.

Space-based stem cell research may be in the early stages, and more funding is needed. However, Dr. Zubair says, "A broader perspective about stem cell applications is possible as research continues to explore the use of space to advance regenerative medicine" (via Mayo Clinic).