Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medical Center conducted a groundbreaking study by sending human heart tissue to the International Space Station (ISS) to investigate how low gravity affects heart health.
The findings have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
After 30 days of observation, the researchers discovered remarkable changes in heart tissue, providing new insights into the potential health risks of long-term space travel and opening doors to new treatments for heart disease.
Led by Professor Deok-Ho Kim, the team developed heart tissue from human stem cells and placed it on small chips designed to mimic the environment of the heart.
These tissues were launched to the ISS in March 2020 aboard the SpaceX CRS-20 mission. While in orbit, the heart tissue was closely monitored and samples were taken for further analysis.
The results were unexpected: heart tissue in the room showed a significantly reduced ability to contract and showed irregular heartbeat patterns. In addition, molecular and genetic changes similar to those associated with aging were observed.
These findings suggest that long-term exposure to low gravity can have serious effects on the heart, which should be taken into account when planning extended space missions, such as future trips to Mars. Furthermore, these changes could contribute to the development of new treatments for heart disease, both in space and on Earth.
Professor Kim’s team is now testing various drugs on heart tissue in space to determine whether they can mitigate the negative effects of low gravity. They are also refining their tissue chip technology and investigating the impact of space radiation on heart tissue.
