Current Areas of Space-Related Health Research

• Skeletal Tissue Engineering - Adult mesenchymal stem cells- Nanobiomaterial scaffold- Bioreactor requirement

Presenter: Rocky S. Tuan, Ph.D., Chief, Cartilage Biology and Orthopaedics Branch

Agency/Organization: NIAMS, NIH, DHHS

COLUMBIA ST-48The Effect of Microgravity on Calcium Metabolism and Bone Formation in Chick Embryo1992 NASA SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION SPACELAB JSTS-47PI: Tatsuo Suda (Showa University)

V

PolymerSolution(-Hydroxy Polyester)

18 kV

VoltageSource

Ground

PolymerCloud

Electrospun nanofibers

With seeded cells

Seeded cellsstained forcytoskeleton

Application of Electrospun Nanofibrous Scaffold for Cell-Based Tissue Engineering

Dynamic Culture Promotes Tissue Integration

Tissue-Engineered Cartilage Using Nanofibrous Scaffold, Human Adult Stem Cells, TGF-,

and Bioreactor

Promising Areas for Space-Related Health Research Collaborations

• Understand the mechanisms responsible for randomized gravity mediated enhancement of stem cell-based cartilage formation

• Design novel bioreactors based on microgravity related principles for improved tissue engineering applications.

Existing Resources to Facilitate Space-Related Health Research

Cartilage Biology and Orthopaedics BranchNIAMS, NIH

• Human resources - a unique consortium of biologists, engineers and surgeons

• Physical resources - instrumentation design and prototyping, mechanoactive bioreactors, biomaterial scaffold production, adult stem cell technologies, mechanical testing