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 transform 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

For optimal stem cell growth, conditions that replicate the complex three-dimensional (3D) environment of the human body are essential. However, on Earth, the production of stem cells is limited by two-dimensional (2D) culture conditions, which fail to accurately mimic these natural environments. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) — adult cells reprogrammed to an embryonic-like state, capable of developing into various cell types — hold great potential for treating many diseases. Despite this promise, large-scale production of iPSCs remains challenging, requiring substantial 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. 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 pursuit of large-scale stem cell production in space raises important ethical and economic considerations. On one hand, space-based biomanufacturing has the potential to overcome the limitations of Earth-bound production, particularly by leveraging microgravity to produce stem cells more efficiently. This could dramatically reduce costs over time and meet the growing global demand for clinical therapies.

However, the high costs associated with space missions, coupled with the need for specialized infrastructure, pose economic challenges. Moreover, ethical concerns arise around equitable access to these advanced therapies, particularly if space-based stem cell treatments become more expensive. Ensuring that breakthroughs in space biomanufacturing benefit a broad population, rather than being limited to those who can afford them, will be crucial as this field progresses. Balancing innovation with affordability and accessibility will be key to realizing the full potential of stem cell production in space.