Leading edge: Scientists learning human tissue self-assembly will attempt to develop human liver tissue in area subsequent yr. The microgravity of the ISS supplies an ideal surroundings to permit cells to copy with out the necessity for dishes or matrixes, which might contaminate cultures.
Dr. Tammy T. Chang of the College of California, San Francisco, is main a analysis mission that makes use of the microgravity surroundings on the Worldwide Area Station (ISS) to develop human liver tissue. This method addresses limitations in present tissue engineering methods and probably improves liver transplantation strategies.
Conventional tissue engineering strategies typically depend on synthetic matrices to supply a framework for cell development. Nevertheless, these matrices can introduce international supplies and alter mobile perform. Dr. Chang’s analysis takes a distinct method by utilizing microgravity situations in area to permit cells to self-assemble naturally with out the necessity for synthetic matrices or tradition plates utilized in Earth-based strategies.
“Our findings point out that microgravity situations allow the event of liver tissues with higher differentiation and performance than these cultured on Earth,” Dr. Chang stated.
These stem cells are reprogrammed from regular human cells and might differentiate into varied cell varieties, together with liver cells.
Dr. Chang’s workforce has developed a customized bioreactor referred to as the “Tissue Orb,” designed particularly for tissue self-assembly in zero-G environments to facilitate the self-assembly course of. It mimics pure blood move in human tissues and consists of a synthetic blood vessel and an automatic media alternate system to simulate pure situations for tissue development.
One other a part of the mission includes creating superior cryopreservation methods to move the engineered tissues from area to Earth safely. The analysis workforce is exploring isochoric supercooling, a preservation technique that maintains tissues under freezing with out inflicting injury. This expertise may lengthen the shelf lifetime of engineered tissues and should even work with entire organs sooner or later.
“Our objective is to develop strong preservation methods that enable us to carry purposeful tissues again to Earth,” Dr. Chang stated.
The spaceflight experiment is scheduled for launch in February 2025. This analysis may result in developments in bioengineered tissues for varied purposes, together with illness modeling, drug testing, and therapeutic implantation.
Dr. Chang is a board-certified surgeon specializing in gastrointestinal situations and complicated stomach surgical procedure, giving her a eager understanding of the medical wants driving her examine. Her work at UCSF spans medical observe and progressive analysis, specializing in liver tissue engineering and regenerative medication. The mission has acquired assist from a number of organizations, together with the Nationwide Science Basis (NSF), the Worldwide Area Station Nationwide Laboratory (ISSNL), and NASA’s Translational Analysis Institute.
