Captain's log: Medtech company to conduct research on International Space Station

Medtech organisation Emulate was awarded $2 million by the NIH’s National Centre for Advancing Translation Sciences (NCATS) to use its organs-on-chips technology to evaluate the effects of space travel on human brain cells. The research could help uncover new ways of understanding neurological diseases on Earth.

The grant will allow Emulate to develop a fully automated research platform and conduct experiments on the International Space Station. Emulate will analyse the Brain-Chip, which consists of neuronal and vascular endothelial cells in a living micro-engineered environment. Experiments will be conducted under healthy and inflamed states to assess how space travel affects neuronal function.

The experiments will be conducted by the Centre for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the organisation which NASA tasks to manage research onboard the International Space Station. CASIS will be responsible for implementing Emulate’s Human Emulation System, which combines micro-engineering with living human cells to examine human biology.

The International Space Station gives researchers an environment to study human health in microgravity. This allows them to decouple the force of gravity from other effects that can impact brain cell function. Researchers will conduct a number of experiments using the Brain-Chip which study a range of factors regarding space travel and human health. These include how hypergravity experienced during launch, reduced availability of oxygen and increased levels of stress hormones influence brain function.

 Geraldine A. Hamilton, president and chief scientific officer of Emulate said: “We are honoured to be selected for this research at the International Space Station which sets forth courageous goals to pioneer discoveries in space and to improve human health here on Earth. As we make our Human Emulation System available to labs throughout the world, we continue to push new boundaries. It's an exciting opportunity for us to collaborate with experts working in the space program so that we can leverage research with Organ-Chips in space and apply the learnings to human health challenges that are experienced on Earth.”

The project will also assess the relationship between inflammation and brain function, potentially advancing understanding of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. In particular, the research will focus on blood-brain barrier functionality. The blood-brain-barrier protects the brain by preventing unwanted substances entering the brain, and can be altered during inflammation. The studies will use the Brain-Chip to evaluate the efficacy of anti-inflammatory therapeutic intervention on the blood–brain barrier in space.

NCATS Director Christopher P. Austin, said: “Conducting research with Organs-on-Chips technology on the International Space Station is a remarkable opportunity to understand disease and improve human health. Physiological functions in the microgravity of the International Space Station will provide insights that will increase translational effectiveness on Earth, including identifying novel targets for drug discovery and development.”