Brains have been sent into space, for an unprecedented scientific breakthrough

Mini-brains were created sent into space and grown there. aboard the ISS. A unique and exciting scientific experience!

As part of an experiment, scientists from the Pasteur Institute and SupBiotech, in partnership with CNES (Centre national d'études spatiales) have grown human brain structures made in the laboratory in space. These “mini-brains” spent more than a month under the surveillance of astronauts on the International Space Station, constituting a world first that should advance research into brain aging and certain genetic diseases.

Face &agrav; the impossibility of to send real brains into space, researchers & The origin of the study found a clever solution: organoids! These mini-organs manufactured in the laboratory Cells taken from humans are used by scientists to study different organs of the human body. This is how in November 2023, mini-brains created in the laboratory took flight. aboard a Falcon 9 rocket destination of the ISS. To transport this somewhat special cargo, it had to be placed at the right place. inside airtight boxes in which the temperature and CO2 concentration remain stable to ensure the survival of organoids during flight.

Astronaut Lora O'Hara is responsible for feeding the organoids & using syringes prepared and numbered by the team of scientists remaining on Earth &copy ; NASA, 2023

After several weeks in space, the mini-brains were separated. repatriated to Earth last February and handed over to the project scientists, relieved to recover their precious equipment. However, the work is far from finished. since researchers must now study the samples to publish their results. On the program: analysis of the composition of brain cells but also of the culture medium in which the organoids released their cells. molecules that provide interesting clues about their state of health. All these results will be compared to the previous results. those obtained on similar cultures remain on Earth.

Sending mini-brains to the ISS may seem surprising, but the Space Station constitutes a unique laboratory in which we free ourselves from a central constraint&nbsp ;: gravity which can sometimes modify the results of the experiments we carry out on Earth. In addition, the objective of this pioneering experiment was to study the effects of the absence of gravity. on the aging of the astronauts' brains. The results of these experiments will be used for further research. prepare as best as possible for future space programs and in particular long missions which could have as yet unknown consequences on human health. astronauts.