Cultivation of significant amounts of human stem cells in a short period of time can lead to breakthroughs in the treatment of strokes and other diseases. Scientists send stem cells to the International Space Station to test whether these cells can reproduce faster in microgravity without any side effects.
Therapeutic applications of stem cells require hundreds of millions of them, and currently scientists do not have the tools to grow these cells in such quantities. Previous studies have shown that microgravity can have a positive effect on the rate of stem cell multiplication, and now experiments in stem cells are being conducted in the orbital laboratory.
Some types of stem cells grow faster in simulated microgravity conditions, according to Abba Zubair, a researcher at the Mayo Clinic, USA. Zubair is the head of the research project Microgravity Expanded Stem Cells investigation, in which on board the ISS, stem cells are grown for their further study on the Earth in clinical studies.
Human stem cells are cells that have not yet been transformed into specialized cells that perform a specific function, so stem cells can be made into cells of a variety of types, renewing and restoring human tissues throughout their life. Stem cells in the organs of the human body are divided and transformed into specialized cells, thus regenerating tissues.
