According to a recent ISSR Stem Cell Report titled “Biomanufacturing in low Earth orbit for regenerative medicine”, a review of space-based regenerative medicine study found out that low Earth Orbit (LEO) research that is done in low gravity can help advance medicine. “Opportunities in disease modeling, stem cell-derived products, and biofabrication” were hot topics of the report.
As in the last few years, the International Space Station (ISS) supported various space-based interdisciplinary research. Alongside with very interesting additions and investments to the International Space Station (Read NASA sends a new Space toilet for astronauts to ISS to have a little bit of funny space news.). Of course, space-based medicine was no exception. While different behaviors and changes of organisms in space were not a new concept since everyone knew about astronaut diseases such as bone loss or muscle atrophy, it recently came to light that we can exploit these differences of space-life to our benefit in medicinal areas.
src: ISSR Stem Cell Reports
Why is Biomanufacturing in low gravity advantageous?
Scientists found out that cells act differently in low gravity, which helps a lot if you are researching “disease progression, and test therapeutics on an accelerated timescale” since cells act and age at an “accelerated rate” in space according to the paper. The paper also suggests that in terms of biomanufacturing, the low gravity conditions provide a huge advantage in the fabrication of tissue since it requires “atomic precision” and the absence of gravity provides “full biomechanical control”. “This could have significant value in the production of advanced medical devices.” as the paper suggests.
They even organized two virtual “Biomanufacturing in Space Symposiums” in 2020, 2021 for sharing their findings and informing the stakeholders of future improvements and designs. The main topics for the conference were “stem cells, organoids and MPS, and biofabrication” according to the report. While there are many opportunities in various areas listed such as: “Aging, Creating cells and tissues, Stem cell differentiation, Biofabrication” and many more listed in the paper, the research seems very promising. Not only they have done their medical research, but the report also provides information about commercializing space medicine, their plans, and building proper infrastructure for it.
src: ISSR Stem Cell Reports
Is there any problematic side to biomanufacturing research in space?
The only concern seems to be the price of research in low gravity or space and the lack of talent for it. Mainly, space research is expensive and oftentimes takes an individual with the knowledge of an astronaut, biologist, researcher, and doctor to fulfill. Therefore, it requires huge sums of money and a lot of work put into it. There are also concerns about the cost of treatment if one of the treatments goes forth to become a mainstream medicinal practice. However, it is all for the good of living organisms! So, it should be worth it!
src: Pixabay
Ending it on a positive note…
Space has given us many opportunities in research and we should be sure to use them consciously in a way that makes every bit of effort worthwhile and fulfilling. If you read the paper, you can see that the team had even provided a roadmap and did a market analysis. Providing the medicinal world with new alternatives is surely something to be appreciated! So, big thanks and appreciation go to the research team from here!
And also, as with space tourism and efforts on commercializing space, providing for a “robust biomanufacturing market in space” as the paper suggests, should not be an opportunity that we should miss. If you want more detailed knowledge on each specific application and their plans, please give the article a read: Biomanufacturing in low Earth orbit for regenerative medicine
