Studying Immune Cell Aging in Space May Lead to New Therapies for Patients on Earth

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), October 3, 2023 – A healthy immune system is what defends the body from invaders like bacteria and viruses. But for the elderly and those facing chronic diseases, the immune system can wear down over time. To better understand the relationship between immune aging and how the body heals itself, a team of scientists took their research to new heights by leveraging the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) National Laboratory to study microgravity’s effects on immune cell function.

As people age, their immune system function declines gradually over time, which makes them increasingly vulnerable to infection and disease. Research shows that these same types of immune system changes have been observed in healthy astronauts during spaceflight, but at an accelerated rate. This makes the unique conditions of the space station an ideal platform for studying the immune aging process.

This research is featured in the latest issue of Upward, official magazine of the ISS National Lab. Upward is dedicated to communicating results of ISS National Lab-sponsored experiments that demonstrate the value of space-based research and technology development. Read the article “Unlocking the Secrets of the Immune System: How Tissue Chips in Space Could Hold the Key” to discover how scientists are leveraging the orbiting laboratory for research that could lead to new treatments for patients with compromised immune systems on Earth.

Download a high-resolution for this release: NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren

Media Contact:       
Patrick O’Neill
904-806-0035
PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org

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About the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory: The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Lab allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit(Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles.. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™(Abbreviation: CASIS™) The nonprofit organization that manages the ISS National Lab, which receives at least 50 percent of the U.S. research allocation on the International Space Station to facilitate research that benefits humanity (NASA manages the other 50% and focuses on research for space exploration purposes).) manages the ISS National Laboratory®, under Cooperative AgreementA cooperative agreement is Federal assistance that establishes a relationship between the U.S. Government and a recipient in which the principal purpose of the relationship is to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation.  Since 2011, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™) has managed the National Laboratory® through a Cooperative Agreement with NASA. with NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration, facilitating access to its permanent 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. research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit issnationallab.org.

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