Stem Cell Factories in Space Could Be New Frontier

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 5, 2021 (HealthDay News) – It sounds as far-fetched as science fiction, but researchers foresee a day when some medical manufacturing moves into space.

“Within the next five years, we may see a scenario where we find cells or tissues that can be made in a way that is simply not possible here on Earth," said stem cell biologist Arun Sharma, of the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. "And I think that’s extremely exciting.”

New research from Cedars-Sinai suggests that space-based technologies may create opportunities for rapid mass manufacture of stem cells, creating advanced disease models and expanding 3D printing capabilities.

The research is still in the "exploratory phase," Sharma said, but it is "no longer in the realm of science fiction."

For example, biomanufacturing can be more productive in microgravity conditions, according to the research. This is a type of stem cell production that uses biological materials such as microbes to produce materials for various therapeutic uses.

“We are finding that spaceflight and microgravity is a desirable place for biomanufacturing because it confers a number of very special properties to biological tissues and biological processes that can help mass produce cells or other products in a way that you wouldn’t be able to do on Earth,” Sharma said.

He noted that the past 20 years have brought remarkable advances in regenerative medicine and technology breakthroughs that pave the way for new opportunities to access and commercialize space.

The forecast was published Dec. 30 in the journal Stem Cell Reports after opportunities were discussed in December during a virtual symposium on biomanufacturing in space.

The symposium noted more than 50 potential commercial opportunities for biomanufacturing in space, according to the Cedars-Sinai paper.

One of them is disease modeling, which scientists use to study diseases and possible treatments. It may include using stem cells, organoids that are miniature 3D structures grown from human stem cells or other tissues.

Research scientists hope to better understand the aging process and disease progression by developing models based on this.

“Not only can this work help astronauts, but it can also lead to us manufacturing bone constructs or skeletal muscle constructs that could be applied to diseases like osteoporosis and other forms of accelerated bone aging and muscle wasting that people experience on Earth,” said Sharma, corresponding author of the new paper.

At the symposium, scientists also discussed biofabrication, which uses 3D printing and manufacturing processes to produce materials such as tissues and organs.

Gravity-induced density makes it hard for cells to expand and grow, which is an issue with producing these materials on Earth. Scientists hope they can use 3D printing to print unique shapes and products, like organoids or heart tissues, in space.

Understanding some of the effects of space flight on stem cells can potentially result in better ways to manufacture large numbers of cells in the absence of gravity, according to the paper. Microgravity can influence the ability of a stem cell to renew itself and also to turn into other types of cells.

Scientists from Cedars-Sinai plan to send stem cells into space early next year, in conjunction with NASA and a private contractor, Space Tango. This will test whether it is possible to produce large batches in a low-gravity environment.

More information

NASA has more on medical research in space.

SOURCE: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, news release, Dec. 30, 2021