Abstract

The NIH-CASIS Coordinated Program in Tissue Chip Systems for Translational Research in Space

Danilo Tagle, Associate Director for Special Initiatives, National Institutes of Health

NCATS has partnered with the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory (ISS-National Lab) formerly known as the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), to collaborate on deployment of tissue chip technology for biomedical research use on the space station). Translational research at the ISS National Lab provides unprecedented opportunities to study the effects of a microgravity environment on the human body. Symptoms of accelerated aging, such as muscle deterioration, osteoporosis, reduced cardiopulmonary function and immune deficiency, occur after prolonged exposure to microgravity. It also has been observed that these conditions are reversible when astronauts return to Earth. Tissue chip projects at the ISS National Lab that model various health concerns under microgravity will contribute to our understanding of human physiological changes associated with aging and could reveal novel molecular targets that can be translated towards improving human health on earth.