{"id":138454,"date":"2024-12-18T16:17:37","date_gmt":"2024-12-18T09:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=138454"},"modified":"2024-12-18T16:17:37","modified_gmt":"2024-12-18T09:17:37","slug":"human-minibrains-launched-into-space-thrived-in-an-unexpected-way-sciencealert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=138454","title":{"rendered":"Human Minibrains Launched Into Space Thrived in an Unexpected Way : ScienceAlert"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Human minibrains in little vials surprised scientists by surviving a stint in low-Earth orbit.<\/p>\n<p>US researchers sent lab-grown blobs of human neural tissue known as  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/what-is-an-organoid\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" data-linkid=\"106655\" data-postid=\"147177\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\">organoids<\/a> for a short holiday on the International Space Station back in 2019. What they got back a month later amazed them.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>Not only were the cells healthy and thriving after weeks of weightlessness \u2013 they had matured faster than the same cells here on Earth.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The fact that these cells survived in space was a big surprise,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scripps.edu\/news-and-events\/press-room\/2024\/20241216-loring-stem-cells.html\">says molecular biologist Jeanne Loring<\/a> of the Scripps Research Institute.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This lays the groundwork for future experiments in space, in which we can include other parts of the brain that are affected by neurodegenerative disease.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>The International Space Station (ISS) represents a unique opportunity for research. It provides us with a means to study the effects of microgravity on human cells \u2013 which has implications not just for astronauts, which represent a miniscule minority of humans, but also for health research for humans on Earth, and the ISS as a platform for disease modeling and drug development.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What are induced pluripotent stem cells? Narrated by Dr. Mick Bhatia\" width=\"1170\" height=\"658\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/d960TZ6HcTc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> frameborder=&#8221;0\u2033 allow=&#8221;accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share&#8221; referrerpolicy=&#8221;strict-origin-when-cross-origin&#8221; allowfullscreen&gt;<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>A team of researchers led by molecular biologist Davide Marotta of the International Space Station National Laboratory set out to investigate the effects of microgravity on the human brain; specifically the neurons that are affected by neurodegenerative conditions such as multiple sclerosis and  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/go\/IYl\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" data-linkid=\"73029\" data-postid=\"147177\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\">Parkinson&#8217;s<\/a> disease.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>They grew their organoids in a lab using human induced pluripotent  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/stem-cells\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" data-linkid=\"73034\" data-postid=\"147177\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\">stem cells<\/a> from healthy donors and patients with MS and Parkinson&#8217;s disease. These are stem cells that are created by taking normal cells from an adult human, and reverting them to a point in a cell&#8217;s development before it has differentiated into a specific type.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>The stem cells were then induced to develop into neurons \u2013 specifically the cortical or dopaminergic neurons that are impacted by these neurodegenerative conditions.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>Some of the organoids also included brain immune cells called microglia. Such clusters of cells have nothing remotely approaching sentience.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>The organoids made of these cells were prepared in specially designed cryovials on Earth, and divided into two groups. Some remained here on the ground; the others were launched into space to spend a month developing in Earth orbit aboard the ISS.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_147190\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-147190\" style=\"width: 642px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/12\/experiment-diagram.jpg\" alt=\"Scientists Sent Human Minibrains to Space. They Matured Faster Than Earth Brains\" width=\"642\" height=\"701\" class=\"size-full wp-image-147190\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/12\/experiment-diagram.jpg 642w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/12\/experiment-diagram-380x415.jpg 380w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/12\/experiment-diagram-600x655.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-147190\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A diagram explaining the design of the experiment. (Marotta et al., <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/stcltm\/article\/13\/12\/1186\/7833382?login=false\"><em>Stem Cells Transl. Med.<\/em><\/a>, 2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When the organoids were brought back to Earth, the researchers carefully studied them to see how they differed from those that had remained here on the surface.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>The fact that the organoids survived and were healthy was a big enough surprise \u2013 but there were also marked differences between the Earth-based and space-faring groups, irrespective of whether they were grown from healthy donors or patients with neurodegenerative conditions.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>The space-faring organoids had a greater expression of genes associated with cell maturation, but fewer associated with cell proliferation than the Earth-based ones \u2013 revealing that the  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/what-is-an-organoid\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" data-linkid=\"106655\" data-postid=\"147177\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\">organoid<\/a> cells replicated more slowly in space, but matured faster.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>Another interesting discovery was that the organoids that flew in space expressed fewer genes associated with stress and displayed less inflammation than the researchers expected based on comparisons with Earth-based organoids. This could be because microgravity is closer to conditions inside the human skull than sitting in a vial in Earth gravity conditions.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The characteristics of microgravity are probably also at work in people&#8217;s brains, because there&#8217;s no convection in microgravity \u2013 in other words, things don&#8217;t move,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scripps.edu\/news-and-events\/press-room\/2024\/20241216-loring-stem-cells.html\">says Loring<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think that in space, these organoids are more like the brain because they&#8217;re not getting flushed with a whole bunch of culture medium or oxygen. They&#8217;re very independent; they form something like a brainlet, a microcosm of the brain.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_147195\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-147195\" style=\"width: 642px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/12\/healthy-organoids.jpg\" alt=\"Scientists Sent Human Minibrains to Space. They Matured Faster Than Earth Brains\" width=\"642\" height=\"363\" class=\"size-full wp-image-147195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/12\/healthy-organoids.jpg 642w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/12\/healthy-organoids-600x339.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-147195\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The neural rosettes typical of cortical organoids seen in ground-based (left) and space-faring organoids (right). Both grew healthy cells, but fewer grew in space. (Marotta et al., <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/stcltm\/article\/13\/12\/1186\/7833382?login=false\"><em>Stem Cells Transl. Med.<\/em><\/a>, 2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This intriguing finding suggests microgravity could be a proxy for conditions that are more natural for brain organoids than the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/scientists-grew-stem-cell-mini-brains-and-then-the-brains-sort-of-developed-eyes\">culture vessels<\/a> on Earth from which they are normally studied. Microgravity could become a laboratory for studying how brain cells react to certain stressors or drugs in conditions closer to what human brains experience in life.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The next thing we plan to do is to study the part of the brain that&#8217;s most affected by  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/go\/IaO\" class=\"lar_link lar_link_outgoing\" data-linkid=\"73015\" data-postid=\"147177\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\">Alzheimer&#8217;s<\/a> disease,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scripps.edu\/news-and-events\/press-room\/2024\/20241216-loring-stem-cells.html\">Loring says<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We also want to know whether there are differences in the way neurons connect with each other in space. With these kinds of studies, you can&#8217;t rely on earlier work to predict what the result would be because there is no earlier work. We&#8217;re on the ground floor, so to speak; in the sky, but on the ground floor.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The research has been published in <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/stcltm\/article\/13\/12\/1186\/7833382?login=false\"><i>Stem Cells Translational Medicine<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/human-minibrains-launched-into-space-thrived-in-an-unexpected-way\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Human minibrains in little vials surprised scientists by surviving a stint in low-Earth orbit. US researchers sent lab-grown blobs of human neural tissue known as organoids for a short holiday &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=138454\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8628],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-138454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-science","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=138454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138454\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=138454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=138454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=138454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}