A pioneering experiment aboard the ISS grows human brain organoids, offering new hope for treating Alzheimer’s disease.

An experiment performed in the International Space Station (ISS) has given hope to millions suffering from Alzheimer’s. Scientists successfully grew small, human like brains, or brain organoids, in space, showing promise in curing the diseases of the brain ahead more quickly (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Space-Grown Brain Organoids Help Advance New Neurological Treatment

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Impact of Alzheimer’s

An estimated 55 million people have dementia and the disease affects 60 to 70 percent of these people in one form or another of Alzheimer’s disease. In the US, 6.9 million elderly people aged 65 years and above need home-based care, many of whom are at least seventy-five. This progressive condition occurs when the brain experiences the formation of amyloid plaques and neuro-fibrillary tangles that deposit and kill brain cells while progressively reducing the brain’s total size. Stage four, in particular, has no treatment, and thus, the condition may cause fatal problems, such as dehydration and sepsis.

Revolutionary Space Experiment for Growing Brains

This revolutionary and sensational outer space experiment was headed by a biotechnology firm known as Axonis Therapeutics. Observing that the growth of the brain organoids experienced a dramatic difference when cultivated under microgravity compared to their growth on Earth, while it takes several months to complete the process on regular Earth conditions, the same only took 72 hours under microgravity. These aim to mirror the arrangement of nerve cells in the human brain, which makes them perfect for analyzing new treatment methods for conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and spinal injuries.

The Role of Gene Therapy

Gene therapy has the potential of treating CNS diseases. Axonis used viral vectors – viruses engineered through gene manipulation – to transport the therapeutic genes into neurons. These vectors delivered a gene for a florescent marker protein to neurons. This gene lit up green during the experiment due to the successful transfer of the gene.

In June 2023, Axonis shipped frozen neurons, astrocytes, as well as viral vectors that deliver these cells to the ISS. When in orbit, those components were fused in a novel bioreactor named BioCell, which is adapted to the station. In the next 72 hours, the neurons started forming structures and emitted a green color thus confirming the efficiency of the therapy.

Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Axonis, Dr. Shane Hegarty, remarked, “This experiment not only confirmed the targeting precision of our gene therapy but also demonstrated the rapid formation of 3D human brain models in space.”

This discovery presents hope in trying to find solutions to Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Using self-assembled, three-dimensional human brain tissue that mimics the human brain with such precision that it makes humans feel like primate models, researchers have a remarkable tool to test those therapies in a faster and more efficient way.

Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that negatively affects memory and cognition. Although the specific mechanism is not certain, genetic factors, environmental influences, and lifestyle factors are believed to be involved. Unfortunately, there is no proven cure for Alzheimer’s to date, but with regular prescription drugs, exercise, a healthy diet, and appropriate medical care, most of the symptoms can be alleviated and the patient’s life can be greatly improved.

The experiment conducted at the ISS can be seen as a breakthrough in the fight against Alzheimer’s, which will bring new hope to millions of affected families. In the process of its further development, space-based research may redraw the limits of breakthroughs in medicine.

Reference:

1. Space-Grown Brain Organoids Help Advance New Neurological Treatment – (https://issnationallab.org/press-releases/upward-axonis-brain-organoids/)

Source-Medindia