KAUST-developed experiments head to space to advance neurodegenerative disease research
Brain cells are being launched into space with the aim of advancing research into neurodegenerative diseases, thanks to scientists from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
KAUST have seen its two biomedical microgravity experiments, known as SSA-1 and SSA-2, join the SpaceX CR35 flight to the International Space Station. The program brings together KAUST researchers including Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Saudi woman astronaut in space in 2023, the general supervisor of microgravity research at the Saudi Space Agency (SSA) and now a Ph.D. candidate at KAUST.
“When people hear that cells are going to space, they naturally ask what it has to do with health here on Earth,” said Barnawi. “The microgravity environment triggers conditions that mimic health challenges on earth, in an accelerated manner that potentially provides a fast lane for drug discovery.”
Observing the behavior of these cells in space will help scientists establish a baseline for a planned series of experiments investigating neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis. Future missions will build on this baseline using patient-derived samples to study disease progression and possible treatment responses.
Neurodegenerative diseases are a rising health priority for Saudi Arabia, although this project is international in scope. It is a collaboration between KAUST, the Saudi Space Agency’s BioGravity Program, NASA InSPA, Axiom Space and the National Stem Cell Foundation in San Diego, California.
“This project turns space ambition into deployable science, driving us closer to solutions to some of Saudi Arabia’s and the world’s most pressing and complex health challenges,” said Imed Gallouzi, professor of Bioscience at KAUST and the lead scientist of the project. “Supported by our partners, including the Saudi Space Agency as our national enabler, we have provided the research and development depth behind this exciting mission.”
To prepare the samples for the mission, Dr. Andrea Diaz Gaxiola, a Research Scientist in Professor Gallouzi’s laboratory, prepared precursor cells at KAUST. Dr. Diaz Gaxiola then froze, and hand-delivered these to the National Stem Cell Foundation in California, then guided their differentiation to different types of brain cells. The team also worked closely with the Foundation to produce brain organoids: lab-grown models that imitate some features of brain tissue.
Through its contribution to this mission, KAUST has developed local infrastructure and Saudi scientists specialized in biomedical microgravity research. In this way, it supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goal for research, innovation, and human-capital development.
