Brain cells head to space in bid to advance neurodegenerative disease research
Researchers at the Saudi King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have sent two biomedical experiments to the International Space Station (ISS), where brain cells and organoids will be studied in microgravity ahead of planned investigations into neurodegenerative diseases.
The experiments, SSA-1 and SSA-2, travelled aboard the SpaceX CR35 mission. They aim to establish a baseline for future research into conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis, with later experiments expected to use patient-derived samples to investigate disease progression and potential responses to treatment.
Microgravity can alter cellular behaviour in ways that may help researchers model aspects of disease processes on Earth. The team hopes that studying cells in this environment could eventually support faster drug discovery, although the current experiments are intended to establish the foundations for that work rather than test treatments directly.
The project brings together KAUST, the Saudi Space Agency’s BioGravity Program, NASA’s InSPA programme, Axiom Space and the National Stem Cell Foundation in San Diego, California.
Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Saudi woman astronaut to travel to space, in 2023, is involved in the research as general supervisor of microgravity research at the Saudi Space Agency and a PhD candidate at KAUST.
“When people hear that cells are going to space, they naturally ask what it has to do with health here on Earth,” Barnawi said. “The microgravity environment triggers conditions that mimic health challenges on Earth, in an accelerated manner that potentially provides a fast lane for drug discovery.”
To prepare the biological material, Dr Andrea Diaz Gaxiola, a research scientist in the laboratory of KAUST professor of bioscience Imed Gallouzi, prepared precursor cells at the university. These were frozen and hand-delivered to the National Stem Cell Foundation in California, where they were guided through differentiation into different types of brain cells. The team also worked with the foundation to produce brain organoids, laboratory-grown models that reproduce some features of brain tissue.
The work also builds Saudi Arabia’s expertise and infrastructure in biomedical microgravity research, supporting the country’s Vision 2030 ambitions for research, innovation and skills development.
Gallouzi, the project’s lead scientist, said the mission combined the country’s ambitions in space with research into major health challenges.
Pic: Steve A Johnson
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