The UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute will oversee its first launch of hematopoietic stem cells into house. That is the third time stem cells have been launched onto the Worldwide Area Station (ISS) as a part of UC San Diego’s Built-in Area Stem Cell Orbital Analysis (ISSCOR) Middle, established in NASA.
“ISSCOR is educating us loads about how house and growing old could have an effect on stem cell biology, but when we are able to’t reproduce the outcomes, we don’t have a scientific advance,” stated Catriona Jamieson, MD, PhD, director of the Sanford Stem Cell Institute and Koman Household Presidential Endowed Chair in Most cancers Analysis at UC San Diego College of Medication. “That is our third journey sending stem cells into house, so we’re hoping it’s a hat trick.”
“Our mission for this launch is so as to add rigor and reproducibility to those experiments,” added Jessica Pham, supervisor of the ISSCOR Middle.
Analysis by Jamieson and colleagues has proven that stem cells age in a different way in several individuals, however scientists are nonetheless seeking to perceive how a lot that’s based mostly on hardwired genetic influences or the distinctive microenvironment of every particular person’s physique.
DNA injury
For instance, research present that when the bone marrow surroundings turns into infected, this may put stress on dividing blood stem cells and injury their DNA, which can finally result in pre-leukemic blood problems.
“It’s more and more clear that the best way stem cells age relies on what they’re uncovered to, and the extra we perceive this course of, the extra exactly we are able to intercept most cancers growth and switch again the clock on human growing old,” stated Jamieson.
Researchers on the Sanford Stem Cell Institute will use house as a form of “growing old accelerator,” first confirming that the microgravity surroundings precisely mimics human growing old, after which utilizing that to additional dissect the growing old course of. The examine will inform scientists’ and clinicians’ understanding of stem cell growing old with out having to depend on prolonged and costly medical trials monitoring Earthbound people as they age, famous Jamieson.
The experiments are the beginning of a rising scientific enterprise in house, the place the managed surroundings and economical tempo may advance a number of areas of well being sciences analysis. Future launches will check extra options of stem cell biology, in addition to discover growing old in different tissue varieties, together with the liver and the mind.
The brand new institute was established in September 2022 by means of a $150 million reward from philanthropist and investor, T. Denny Sanford.
