Space-grown stem cells show promise for accelerating biotherapies

Stem cells grown in microgravity aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have unique properties that could one day help accelerate new biotherapies and cure complex diseases, two Mayo Clinic researchers say. The research analysis by Fay Abdul Ghani and Abba Zubair, M.D., Ph.D., published in NPJ Microgravityfinds that microgravity can enhance the regenerative potential of cells. Dr. Zubair is an expert in laboratory medicine and medical director of the Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics at the Mayo Clinic in Florida. Abdul Ghani is a research technologist at the Mayo Clinic. Microgravity is weightlessness or near-zero gravity.

Studying stem cells in space has uncovered cell mechanisms that would otherwise go unnoticed or unknown in the presence of normal gravity. That discovery indicates broader scientific value for this research, including potential clinical applications.”

Abba Zubair, MD, Ph.D., investigator, Mayo Clinic

Dr. Zubair has launched stem cell experiments from his laboratory during three different missions to the ISS. His review article provides data on the scientific question: “Is space the ideal environment for growing large numbers of stem cells?” Another major concern is whether cells grown in space can maintain their strength and function after crashing to Earth.

“The goal of almost all spaceflights studying stem cells is to promote the growth of large quantities of safe and high-quality, clinical-grade stem cells with minimal cell differentiation,” says Dr. Zubair. “Our hope is to study these space-grown cells to improve the treatment of age-related conditions such as stroke, dementia, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.”

The challenges of growing stem cells on Earth

Adult stem cells found in bone marrow and fatty tissue do not divide or differentiate into specialized cells. As a result, the number of adult stem cells in one patient is limited. To obtain enough stem cells for clinical research or patient use, the cells must be multiplied and expanded. It is an expensive, time-consuming process with inconsistent results.

Research on the International Space Station has given scientists new insight into how cells multiply, function and transform into specialized cells. Importantly, they also found that microgravity promotes better cell growth and function compared to cells grown in a laboratory on Earth.

“The space environment provides an advantage for the growth of stem cells by providing a more natural three-dimensional state for their expansion, which is very similar to the growth of cells in the human body. That is in comparison to the two-dimensional culture environment available on Earth. it is less likely to imitate human tissue,” says Dr. Zubair.

Discoveries of stem cells grown in space

The immediate value of interstellar stem cell research may be in growing tissue for disease modeling. Stem cells grown in space can be used to recreate lifelike models of cancer and other diseases in a petri dish. Researchers can then use these models to monitor the progression of the disease and test new therapies to stop it.

An extensive review of articles from the Mayo Clinic and other academic health centers shows that space research has applications far beyond the laboratory. Several stem cell lines grown in weightlessness have shown clinical potential:

• Mesenchymal stem cells are adult stem cells that secrete growth factors with potential for healing. The team of Dr. Zubair has documented that mesenchymal stem cells expanded under microgravity have greater immunosuppressive properties than those grown on Earth.
• Hematopoietic stem cells have blood regenerative abilities to fight infections, stop bleeding and carry oxygen. Hematopoietic stem cells grown aboard the ISS have shown the ability to expand and differentiate into red or white blood cells that could one day be used to treat patients with blood cancer.
• Cardiovascular progenitor cells provide the building blocks for blood vessels and heart muscle. They play a crucial role in muscle recovery. Growing cardiovascular progenitor cells in space could one day provide new possibilities for repairing tissue damaged by a heart attack.
• Neural stem cells are found in the central nervous system and play a key role in the development, maintenance and repair of the brain. Neural cells expanded in a gravity-free environment and retained their regenerative abilities on Earth. Researchers are studying whether space-grown neural cells could provide replacement therapy for diseases of the central nervous system.

Obstacles to healing

Despite the promise of extraterrestrial stem cell research, researchers face many challenges. Cells can lose their strength and ability to function after prolonged exposure to microgravity. Over time, space radiation can damage DNA and affect cell growth. Another concern is whether cells grown in microgravity can cause cancer. The team of Dr. However, Zubair found no evidence of chromosomal damage that could cause cancer in mesenchymal stem cells grown in space.

Stem cell research in the cosmos is in its early stages, and the full effects of multiplying cells in weightlessness are not yet fully understood. More scientific data, research and funding are needed to help researchers fully understand the clinical potential of space-expanded cells.

“The space research conducted to date is just a starting point. A broader perspective on stem cell applications is possible as research continues to explore the use of space to advance regenerative medicine,” writes Dr. Zubair.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Mayo Clinic’s Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics provided funding for this research.