National Stem Cell Foundation Expands Neurodegenerative Disease Study in Microgravity
News related to:National Stem Cell Foundation · 2 min read
LOUISVILLE, Ky. and HOUSTON and RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 14, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The National Stem Cell Foundation (NSCF), Axiom Space, and the Saudi Space Agency have joined forces to expand a long-running study of neurodegenerative diseases in microgravity. The collaboration, launched aboard SpaceX CRS-35 to the International Space Station (ISS), aims to explore how genetic and ethnic diversity influences disease progression and therapeutic responses.
The mission, which includes cells from collaborating research teams in Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, is part of the BioGravity program. This initiative seeks to translate knowledge gained in orbit into future therapeutic solutions for neurodegenerative diseases. The launch of SpaceX CRS-35, with the plume still visible behind the Operations Support Building II at Kennedy Space Center, marks a significant milestone in the study.
NSCF researchers will add cells from Saudi Arabia to their existing study of Parkinson's disease (PD), Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The addition of these samples will enable scientists to evaluate how disease biology and potential therapeutic responses may vary across genetically and ethnically diverse populations. The mission also includes cell lines from the United Kingdom derived from individuals with a mutation for early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Microgravity provides a unique environment for studying cellular interactions that cannot be replicated on Earth. Previous NSCF studies have demonstrated that brain organoids mature more rapidly in space, accelerating the pace of discovery and enabling researchers to observe disease-related changes that can take much longer to emerge in traditional laboratory settings.
Dr. Pinar Mesci, NSCF Scientific Advisor and Global Head of Biomanufacturing and Biotechnology at Axiom Space, expressed excitement about the mission.
The mission will focus on neuroinflammation, a hallmark of PD, AD, PPMS, and many other neurodegenerative and autoimmune disorders. Researchers will compare cellular behavior, molecular pathways, and potential therapeutic responses among organoids derived from different patient populations to better understand how biological diversity may affect treatment development.
The broader NASA-funded program is designed to validate advanced brain organoid models and expand the work into drug development and screening applications. The NSCF's goal is to develop discoveries that benefit patients worldwide, with the ultimate aim of improving treatment options for neurodegenerative diseases.
Through the BioGravity program, the Saudi Space Agency aims to translate the knowledge gained in orbit into future therapeutic solutions.
The collaboration between NSCF, Axiom Space, and the Saudi Space Agency underscores the potential of space-based research in advancing medical knowledge and developing new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. The mission represents an important step toward understanding how diverse genetic backgrounds may influence disease progression and the effectiveness of future therapies.