USA: Astronauts travelling to the International Space Station (ISS) on Axiom Space's Ax-2 mission, scheduled to launch on May 21, will cultivate stem cells for the first time in space. In particular, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are cells with the capacity for self-renewal and development into the three major cell types that make up the human body, will be examined.

According to NCBI, iPSCs are derived from adult cells and are reprogrammed to achieve a state known as "pluripotency" by inducing genes and other factors.When cells are in their pluripotent state, they can develop into almost any type of cell found in the human body. These stem cells are crucial for creating individualised medical treatments because of this characteristic.To treat neurological disorders, for instance, neurons can be created from iPSCs.

Scientists are interested in finding out how iPSCs will react to low gravity in space. Gravity-induced tension, which makes it difficult for cells to expand and grow, may be a significant problem with the production of iPSCs on Earth, according to Cedars-Sinai. The "gravity-induced tension" might not be an obstacle in low-gravity environments like the International Space Station (ISS), which orbits the Earth at a height of about 408 km.

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According to Clive Svendsen, the mission's co-principal investigator, gravity constantly pulls these pluripotent stem cells towards Earth, exerting pressure on them and giving them a stimulus to begin differentiating into other cell types. However, in microgravity, this effect won't be present.Scientists can test whether stem cells will develop more quickly, experience fewer genetic mutations, and maintain their pluripotent state in space.

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"Understanding how iPSCs grow in space will help us understand some of the effects of space flight and space irradiation on human health and perhaps lead to better ways to manufacture large numbers of cells in the absence of gravity," Svendsen argued.

Launch is scheduled for May 21 at the latest for the Ax-2 mission. Using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Florida's Kennedy Space Centre, the Ax-2 crew will travel in a Dragon spacecraft if everything goes according to plan. The Dragon spacecraft will be prepared and loaded with stem cells by a Cedars-Sinai team a week prior to launch at the Kennedy Space Centre.

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Axiom Space, based in Texas, will send Ax-2 as its second mission to the ISS. In April 2022, the company launched Ax-1, its initial space station mission. It was the first astronaut mission to the ISS that was entirely private. Additionally, the business is creating a number of space station modules that will be delivered to the ISS in the upcoming years.