Scientists send beating heart cells to the International Space Station

12 Mar 2020

Scientists send beating heart cells to the International Space Station

Scientists send beating heart cells to the International Space StationWe have been reading about SpaceX and its supply mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

On 6 March, SpaceX launched the Dragon Spacecraft from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, carrying about 1950 kg of various cargo, equipment and scientific experiments on it.

Let’s talk about an interesting experiment that is on board this spacecraft.

The spacecraft is carrying cardiomyocytes or beating heart cells.
 	These heart cells are grown from pluripotent stem cells. The pluripotent stem cells are cells that can self-renew and turn into multiple or different cell types.

Why are the heart cells being sent to space? For two reasons:

1. The human heart is affected when exposed to space. Researchers know that astronauts are at risk due to a change in their cardiac or heart functions.

So, to learn more, a Tissue Chips in Space project has been placed on the spacecraft.
 	This will help learn how exactly microgravity and other forces in space affect the heart muscle. (Microgravity is when the pull of gravity is not very strong and things seem weightless.)

2. According to an experiment by Professor Chunhui Xu, stem cells grow faster in space with lesser gravity than on Earth. So, this experiment will also help her team learn more about the growth of heart cells.

Why are both experiments important?

The experiments will help scientists better treat and protect astronauts in space and heart patients on Earth.
 	Some heart cells identical to the ones sent to space will also be monitored on Earth. So, scientists can compare the two samples when the heart cells will be returned to Earth after almost a month.

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We have been reading about SpaceX and its supply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). On 6 March, SpaceX launched the Dragon Spacecraft from […]

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