These chips aren’t for snacking!

Tissue chips are small 3D devices about the size of a thumb drive with real human cells inside. Tissue Chips in Space is a program developed through a partnership between the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and the Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS). The chips will be taken up to the International Space Station, where astronauts will use them for biomedical research.

Why are we sending tiny chips with human cells into space? When aboard the International Space Station, astronauts are in an environment of microgravity, or little to almost no gravity as compared to Earth. It has been found that when in microgravity, the human body experiences changes that have been linked with aging on Earth, and at a faster rate. These changes can include bone loss, muscle loss, immune deficiency, and reduced cardiopulmonary function.

By studying human tissue in this microgravity environment, scientists could learn more about the aging process on Earth, and how to keep astronauts healthy during long trips in space. Because these effects happen at a faster rate in microgravity, experiments that would normally take months or longer on Earth can be completed in weeks.

How do tissue chips work? The chip is filled with a specific kind of gel that has empty channels running through it. Cells from different organs in the body (kidney cells, for example) are then inserted into the gel, where they attach and form a kind of tube resembling part of the organ in the human body. A blood-like fluid can then be sent through the organ cells, like how blood flows through the body. Scientists can put different things in that fluid, such as drugs or toxins, to observe the effects on the cells. This process can be much safer than testing new medicines on living things, and shows a quicker and more direct effect on humans.

Not only could tissue chips help things like vaccination development and learning how to potentially slow down some effects of aging, but they could help astronauts as well! Astronauts could have chips with tissues that are personalized to their health, and use them to monitor any changes and test possible remedies. When it comes time for humans to travel to Mars, which is at least a 6-month trip one way, this could be extremely valuable.

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aging,  International Space Station,  Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium,  LSC Space News Now,  space,  tissue chips