Scientists from New York City-based Mount Sinai will send bioengineered human heart muscle cells and micro-tissues to space, according to a Nov. 14 news release shared with Becker's.
In doing so, researchers hope to learn more about how tissues and organs respond to extreme biological stressors like venturing into space.
The heart muscle cells and micro-tissues will be aboard a SpaceX craft powered by NASA for a resupply mission to the International Space Station. The craft will remain in space for 30 days before returning to earth.
Since astronauts commonly experience symptoms of heart failure akin to someone who is bedridden, but "at an accelerated pace and a younger age," according to the release, the study could lead to a better understanding of how to protect their heart health. It could also propel future therapies for individuals who experience heart failure on Earth.
After the ship returns with Mount Sinai's cell and tissue samples, researchers will examine them "to compare the survival characteristics to equivalent samples cultured in our laboratory at Mount Sinai’s Cardiovascular Research Institute," Kevin Costa, PhD, the project lead and an associate professor of cardiology at Icahn Mount Sinai stated in the release. "We are testing to see if microgravity will alter the cardiomyocyte ability to adapt to this enclosed environment, and to see if there are differences in the biology of the cells that are returned from the ISS."
Dr. Costa explained that since space flights are becoming more affordable, further experiments can be conducted to continue understanding more about how human bodies adapt to the extremities of space.