Unlocking the Heart’s Potential Through Space-Based Research
Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli works to retrieve Media Bags for Emory University's Project EAGLE investigation.
Media Credit: NASA
January 22, 2025 • By Patrick O'Neill, Staff Writer
Researchers from Emory University have taken their cardiac research to extraordinary heights. The team recently published findings from a study leveraging the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) National Laboratory in the high-impact journal Biomaterials. The investigation, which launched to the ISS on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission, examined the effects of microgravityThe condition of perceived weightlessness created when an object is in free fall, for example when an object is in orbital motion. Microgravity alters many observable phenomena within the physical and life sciences, allowing scientists to study things in ways not possible on Earth. The International Space Station provides access to a persistent microgravity environment. on three-dimensional clusters of heart muscle cells.
By studying how heart muscle cells grow and function in the unique space environment, the research team aims to revolutionize cell therapy, opening new pathways to repair damaged hearts in patients on Earth. Results from the investigation revealed that spaceflight increases the expression of genes involved in stress response and cell survival. Understanding these spaceflight-induced changes could lead to new ways to produce heart muscle cells on Earth that are better able to respond to stress and survive when transplanted into a patient, which is critical for successful regenerative therapies.
This groundbreaking investigation, which builds on prior research sponsored by the ISS National Lab, exemplifies the power of space-based research in addressing some of humanity’s most pressing health challenges. For more than a decade, the Emory team, led by Chunhui Xu, has utilized the unique microgravity environment to advance cardiac research.
The team’s investigation was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, which provides critical support for fundamental science in a variety areas like tissue engineering and transport phenomena. To learn more, please check out Emory University’s news release on this exciting advancement.