Space travel has long fascinated humanity, but it also poses significant health risks, particularly to the brain and muscles. The low-gravity environment of space, known as microgravity, has been linked to problems with muscles and thinking abilities in astronauts. Scientists believe this might be because space accelerates the aging process and causes the brain to degenerate faster. While researchers are still working to understand the exact reasons behind these changes, the effects of space travel on the brain are a serious concern for astronauts and even future space tourists. But there’s a silver lining: space could offer a unique environment for studying and developing treatments for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s that involve similar types of brain degeneration. Sachi Bio recently published results from use of the Nanoligomer based drug discovery platform on the International Space Station in ACS Chemical Neuroscience, to show case the ease with which our platform can take advantage of accelerated disease pathology in the space environment to develop novel therapeutic molecules to target genes of interest .
The Study
In a recent study, scientists at Sachi Bio took advantage of space to screen for potential treatments that could protect the brain from damage. They used a new technology called the Nanoligomer platform to test possible treatments for brain degeneration during a 43-day mission aboard the International Space Station. To do this, they created 3D models of human brain tissue, called organoids, which mimic the behavior of different parts of the brain. These organoids were made from both healthy and diseased brain cells, allowing researchers to study how space affects both normal brain function and the types of damage seen in neurodegenerative diseases.
The results were striking: brain organoids exposed to the space environment showed more severe signs of degeneration compared to similar organoids kept on Earth. This was particularly evident in the organoids related to diseases like Alzheimer’s, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The space-exposed organoids displayed higher levels of harmful proteins and other markers that are typically associated with these diseases, providing a clear link between space conditions and accelerated brain aging.
Next, the researchers tested two potential treatments: NI112, which targets a molecule called NF-κB, and NI113, which targets another molecule called IL-6. These treatments, called Nanoligomers, significantly reduced the levels of harmful proteins associated with Alzheimer’s, FTD, and ALS in the organoids. After 43 days of treatment in space, the organoids showed far less damage compared to untreated ones. Even better, the Nanoligomers didn’t cause any harm to the brain tissue, suggesting that they are safe to use at doses that could protect against brain damage.
This study highlights the potential of using space as a tool for quickly testing and developing new treatments. The unique conditions of space allowed researchers to speed up the process of identifying possible drugs for brain diseases, which could take much longer on Earth. The success of the Nanoligomers in this study also suggests that these treatments could be developed further to protect astronauts during long space missions or even help patients on Earth who suffer from neurodegenerative diseases.
The future
In the future, using space to develop treatments could help millions of people living with diseases like Alzheimer’s and ALS. The findings from this study are just the beginning, but they demonstrate how space can play an important role in finding new, faster ways to discover and test treatments for some of the most challenging diseases faced by humanity.
Read more about the study:
Sadhana Sharma, Vincenzo S. Gilberto, Jon Rask, Anushree Chatterjee*, Prashant Nagpal* (2024). ACS Chemical Neuroscience 15, 16, 3009–3021.