Highlights:

  • Cedars-Sinai is sending stem cells to the International Space Station (ISS) to take advantage of microgravity, which enhances stem cell growth and production efficiency, addressing the limitations of Earth-based manufacturing.
  • By using space as a platform for large-scale stem cell biomanufacturing, Cedars-Sinai aims to advance regenerative medicine, potentially transforming treatments for age-related health conditions.

Stem cells appear to be essential for advancing medical research, especially in the treatment of age-related diseases and tissue regeneration. With their unique ability to differentiate into different cell types, they hold promise for addressing conditions such as neurodegenerative disorders, heart disease, and other types of tissue damage. However, harvesting and growing stem cells in large quantities has proven to be a significant challenge. Researchers typically rely on controlled environments to cultivate these cells, but replicating the ideal conditions needed for their growth on a large scale remains difficult, compounded by strict regulatory requirements that ensure safety and ethical practices.

One exciting development in overcoming these challenges is growing stem cells in outer space. Cedars-Sinai Hospital, in collaboration with other researchers, is sending stem cells to the International Space Station (ISS) to take advantage of the microgravity environment. Microgravity allows stem cells to expand more efficiently and in larger quantities than is possible on Earth. By growing stem cells in space, scientists hope to unlock new possibilities for scaling production, potentially transforming how we harness these cells for age-related therapies and tissue regeneration.

The Challenge of Stem Cell Production on Earth

On Earth, the production of stem cells is constrained by the limitations of two-dimensional (2D) culture conditions, which do not accurately replicate the complex three-dimensional (3D) environment of the human body. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) — adult cells that have been reprogrammed to an embryonic-like state, making them capable of becoming different types of cells — may be essential for developing treatments for various diseases. However, large-scale production of iPSCs remains difficult, requiring significant resources, time, and advanced technology.

According to recent studies, microgravity has shown promise as a novel environment for improving the efficiency of stem cell production. Microgravity refers to the condition of near weightlessness experienced in orbit. In this unique setting, cells exhibit different growth behaviors, allowing scientists to explore new methods for stem cell cultivation that are arduous to come by on Earth.

Microgravity and Stem Cell Growth: Insights from the ISS

Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have launched several investigations aboard the ISS to examine how microgravity can enhance the production of iPSCs. A recent mission in collaboration with Axiom Space, supported by NASA’s In-Space Production Applications program, focused on understanding how microgravity affects stem cell reprogramming and proliferation.

During the mission, astronauts aboard the ISS initiated the process of converting skin cells (fibroblasts) into iPSCs using advanced reprogramming techniques. This experiment represents the first time the entire stem cell reprogramming process has been conducted in space. The goal is to observe how microgravity influences both the efficiency and quality of iPSC production.

According to Dr. Arun Sharma, a leading stem cell biologist at Cedars-Sinai, “Previous stem cell experiments on the space station have actually shown that there can be an improvement in how these cells divide in microgravity, as well as a change in their pluripotency, or their ability to be a stem cell…If we can grow cells two- or three-fold better than what we can do on the ground, that’s really exciting not just for basic science for using these stem cells but also for clinical applications.” 

Biomanufacturing in Space: A New Frontier for Regenerative Medicine

The long-term goal of these ISS experiments is to enable large-scale stem cell production in space, potentially addressing the limitations of Earth-based manufacturing. By leveraging the unique properties of microgravity, scientists hope to develop protocols for producing stem cells in quantities sufficient to meet the growing demand for clinical therapies.

The Cedars-Sinai team is planning follow-up missions to expand upon their initial findings. These future missions will explore how iPSCs developed in space can be used to create various cell types, including heart and brain cells. This progression demonstrates the potential of space as a viable platform for biomanufacturing stem cells for clinical use on Earth.

The Future of Stem Cell Research in Space

The research being conducted aboard the ISS not only addresses the scientific challenge of stem cell production but also contributes to the larger goal of developing commercial opportunities in space-based biomanufacturing. As access to the ISS grows, research into regenerative medicine is expected to accelerate, bringing novel technologies to the forefront of both space and healthcare industries.

The implications of this research are far-reaching. Stem cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and cardiac conditions are currently limited by the availability and quality of cells. If microgravity can be harnessed to overcome these barriers, we may witness a future where stem cells are mass-produced in space and used in advanced therapeutic applications across the globe.